Neo Akatsuki
by Cornell Darkheart
Summary: 25 Years have passed since the death of the Akatsuki and Tsunade. The next generation is divided, some joining, others oposing. The real story is only just beginning..
1. Chapter 1: Alive

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

(I'll say this once. Italics means thought. Normal typing means narration. Text in quotes means dialogue. Bold face type will be chapter headings and previews. Naruto does not belong to me, nor do any of the trademarks. I intend for this to be long [at least 12 chapters)

Intro: 25 Years have passed since the death of the fifth Hokage, Tsunade. She fell to the hands of the Akatsuki, who were subsequently eliminated by Team Hebi, Jiraiya and other Konoha shinobi, including as Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake. Now, as the 7th Hokage, succeeding Kakashi, Naruto watches over the shinobi of Konoha.

_Light… Where was it coming from…? What is this light…? Where am I…? Who am I…?_

The gray eyes stirred. A light overhead shown down on the tinted glass, from behind which the eyes stared up at through stray auburn bangs. The light was the only thing he could see. On either side of him were walls of metal, curved around the body. He was confined, with little room to move. He couldn't even look down at himself.

_I am trapped, _he thought. _I must escape! _

He pounded on the glass, but it would not give. Whoever put him here intended for him to stay there… No… It must be more… A test… He must destroy it. In the little room he had, he drew back his fist and summoned his chakra to his fist. After collecting a large amount in his hand, he struck the glass, which immediately shattered with the blow. He shut his eyes as the shards fell, but not a single piece cut him. He rose from the pod he had awoken in.

_Who am I…? What is this place?!_

He looked around. There were 7 other pods in this room, each a metallic dome with a tinted glass window with a cold, vacant feel, but vacant was the last thing they were. He stepped over to the pod next to the one he emerged from and cupped his hands against the glass, staring in. He could make out the figure of another man with white hair with markings on his face. The man in the pod did not look familiar.

He examined the rest of the room. It was all metal, with pipes running in and out of the walls. Many of these pipes were covered with cobwebs. On one wall was a large monitor, above something like a control console. It had the appearance of a super computer. On the opposite wall was a stairway leading up. The only freestanding furniture in the entire room was a table next to the pod he emerged from.

He walked over to that table. On it laid a videotape and an envelope. He picked up the tape and turned to the computer, examining it more carefully. After a minute, he found a VCR. He pushed the tape inside and reached up to the single button on the monitor. With a press, the screen flashed. Light filled the obscure room. He pressed the play button on the VCR.

A face appeared. The monitor showed a man with spiky, auburn hair too, with many piercings on his face. A headband with a steel plate was on his forehead. Upon the plate were four vertical indentations, with a horizontal slash through all of them. Most intriguing were his eyes, which were a series of gray concentric circles around his pupil.

The man on the monitor began to speak, "If you are watching this, then I have been dead for many years. My name is Pein, and I was the leader of the Akatsuki. Both these names probably mean little to you, as you don't even know your own. It is Roku. You are my son."

Roku stepped away from the monitor and gaped, watching curiously as Pein continued. "You all have these eyes," Pein stated as he pointed to his own. "They allow you to see everything the other five people with these eyes can see. The five other people with these eyes are in five of the other pods in this room."

What happened next made Roku take another step back. Pein declared, "Those five other people are not to be treated as allies. They are to be used as tools. You are a shinobi of the Hidden Rain Village, and they will treat you like a God."

A pause. Roku swallowed and listened as Pein's voice filled the room again. "You have spent your entire life, since the moment you were born, in that pod. I knew they would kill you if they knew I had a son, that you would have the Rin'negan, as I do. It is my wish that, in return for protecting you from death and providing you with what is necessary for you to be successful, you carry out my will, the will of the Akatsuki."

Roku nodded, seeing the truth in his father's words. The monitor flickered; this computer was old. "You must collect followers. At least nine other must join you, nine who have abandoned their village to seek power. In the envelope with this video are rings belonging to the Akatsuki of the past. 'Zero, White, Scarlet, Boar, South, North, and Orb.'" Pein held up his hand and showed his ring. Zero. "Three other rings, 'Blue, the Void, and Three' are lost. If someone appears with these rings, they must either join you or the rings, taken back." His voice became darker as he added, "Use whatever means necessary."

Roku lowered his head in thought. He knew of no shinobi, and nothing about any of the other villages. As if on cue, Pein spoke again, "Everything you need to know is on the desk in the room upstairs. Files on the other villages. Important facts about jutsus. Also, as you have noticed, there are eight pods, but only five of them were set-aside for you. One of them is empty. The other, next to yours, is Project Kosshi. He will awaken on his own. He is to be one of your nine followers, a vital asset to the team.

Pein paused again and continued, "Once you have everything you need, information and followers, you must seek out and capture the nine Bijuu. You will learn about them in your studies. Carry out my dreams. Bring peace to the world."

The monitor flashed again and the room fell back into darkness. Roku swallowed again and turned to the stairs, climbing up. He opened the door to the next room and shut his eyes as light flooded in. Sure enough, the desk Pein mentioned was right beside the door, though dusty and untouched for many years.

Roku sat down at the desk and began his study.

**Next Chapter: Departure**


	2. Chapter 2: Departure

**Chapter 2: Departure**

"Sorry guys! I didn't mean to be late!"

"Didn't mean to be late? You're always late!"

"Really, I never mean to be late though!"

The trivial argument between the two young men continued until the thud of a kunai thrown into the ground between them ended it. From a nearby tree, another man crouched, this one in a mask and a uniform of white and black. He took a magnificent leap, his long, black hair flowing in the breeze, and landed near the two conflicting men.

"Takachi, you think you're really something, don't you? Ever since they made you an ANBU Captain, all we ever hear about is the great Takachi Uchiha," sneered one of the men. He hand long black hair in a ponytail and wore a loose outfit of white. The most peculiar feature about him were his eyes, the sclera black and pupils white. A Leaf Village headband sat on the forehead of this Kuro Hyuga.

"Jealousy isn't fitting of you, Kuro. So Obito was late again?" answered the masked Takachi coolly.

"I didn't mean to! Father and I visited the memorial…" contested the other shinobi. Obito Hatake too wore a Leaf Village headband, and his tall, white hair flopped slightly to the side. He looked opposite of Kuro, in a fitting black suit, his face masked. One of the few visible things on his face were his black, imposing eyes.

"Like he does everyday. Kakashi is always staring at the inscription of at Obito Uchiha's name. No wonder he named his son after him." Kuro continued. Obito started forward but the palm of Takachi pressed him back.

"Enough. We need to save our energy for today's mission. We are the strongest team of Jounin's in the Leaf, and Lord Hokage specifically asked us to do this job. It is one of great importance."

"Now that Obito's here, we don't have to wait. Let's go already," Kuro finished, and the three shinobi darted out, away from their homes in the Leaf Village.

-

_Interesting… Very interesting…_

Roku examined a page of his information. _There are three great Doujutsu's in the world… I possess the Rin'negan… What about the two others?_

Roku closed his book. The original sealing statue must have been destroyed… How else could the Bijuu have gotten back into the world? Another one must be constructed, but he could not do that alone… Someone from the Hidden Rock Village would be more knowledgeable in that type of thing.

He descended down into the pod room and looked into the six occupied pods. The men inside all had auburn hair, like him, and a number of piercings on their face, save one. The white haired man… The first one he had ever seen… He must be Project Kosshi. There was no sign of consciousness for the man in the pod

Roku ascended back to the study and looked to the door opposite the staircase. _This is it…_ he thought. _The first followers will be the hardest to find… But I know which village to start with… It must be…_

_-_

It was night in the village. The wind whistled as it blew through the trees. The only other sound in the night air was the soft _thud_ of sandals against road. The three shinobi had returned.

"That was one hell of a mission," Obito sighed, holding a pad of gauze against a deep stab wound in his arm.

"Obito, you wuss. You weren't even in the front lines!" contested Kuro, who had several scratches along his arms and legs, his sleeves and pant legs in shreds.

Takachi walked between the two, gripping the shoulders of them both roughly. The other two jerked to attention, Kuro, silently cursing as he activated his Byakugan and Obito, who turned and took up a defensive position where Takachi had been standing. The latter had disappeared.

"So I've been spotted. You guys are very clever."

Out, literally, from the shadow of a tree stepped the man. He had long auburn hair in a ponytail, and a number of piercings on his face. Most of his body was hidden under a red cloak with a thick black stripe at the waist. Red clouds decorated this stripe. The gray, concentric eyes piercingly glared at the two

"His eyes! What are they? Neji-sensei told us of two Doujutsus!" Obito cried out as the Rin'negan heir appeared.

"Father isn't the kind to forget important information," Kuro answered. "Who are you?"

"I am no foe of yours, not yet," the newcomer started, "I am Roku, of the Hidden Rain Village. I am the heir to all that was Akatsuki. As such, I need followers." He held up three rings in his palm, with the kanji's of 'White,' 'Scarlet,' and 'Boar.' "I have been watching you, Kuro Hyuga and Obito Hatake. You are the strongest Jounin in the Leaf Village, and I value that. Do not become my enemies."

From the top of the tree Roku walked out from under, Takachi sprang, kunai in hand, towards the lone Akatsuki member. Another figure shot out from another tree and collided in mid air with Takachi. The two other Leaf shinobi watched, terrified, as their comrade went down under another person.

Takachi struggled somewhat, but he was subdued. His captor also had auburn hair and piercings, but the hair was spiked and the piercings varied. Otherwise, he strongly resembled the man with the rings, down to the outfit, headband, and the gray, concentric eyes.

"I told you not to resist. Takachi, there is an incentive for you," mused the spiky haired captor. He wrenched the mask from Takachi's face. The Sharingan burned bright in both eyes, and a Leaf Village headband sat on his forehead. Deep wrinkles ran under each eye.

"Just as I thought. Takachi, do you know of the lies the Leaf Village has fed you?" spoke the captor. Kuro's blinked in confusion, but Obito swallowed, his stance shaky.

"What lies?!" Takachi cried as he tried to struggle from his captor's hold.

"You are the son of Sasuke Uchiha… Isn't that what they told you?" he continued.

This time, Obito cried out, "Don't tell him!"

"Tell me what? What is it!?"

"Those eyes… Those are not the eyes of Sasuke Uchiha… That look… It is obvious… Your true father is Itachi Uchiha."

Takachi grew weak. Itachi? But Sasuke had told him that Itachi was dead, that he had killed him…

It sank in. Itachi died 25 years ago, and Takachi was 25. Takachi did not look like his brother or sisters. Takachi had not shared the desire to rebuild the Uchiha clan, like Sasuke and his children.

"This," spoke Roku, as he approached Takachi with the ring that read 'Scarlet' "belongs to your father. Rightfully, it is yours, if you join me."

Takachi's eyes shut tight. This was too much. For 25 years, he had been deceived. Everything he thought was home was a lie. Takachi raise his kunai to his forehead protector and slashed through the symbol of the Leaf. A small smile spread on Roku's lips as he set the 'Scarlet' ring in Takachi's hand, the spiky haired man releasing Takachi.

"Any other takers?" spoke Roku.

"Who is that with you? Who is the other man?" Obito asked, looking to the spiky haired man

"I am Roku, of course," came the answer. Obito took another step back, but soon crumbled to his knees. Kuro had delivered four swift blows with his Gentle Fist.

"You knew, didn't you Obito? You knew about Takachi and you didn't tell us. You are a traitor to us. We part ways here." Kuro took the kunai from Obito's hand, with no resistance, and slashed his own headband. He approached the longhaired one, and Roku placed the ring, 'White' in his palm.

The longhaired Roku tossed the unclaimed ring to the spiky haired counterpart before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The remaining, spiky haired Roku pocketed it. "Come. We must find others." He added with a small laugh "The Sharingan and the Byakugan… I didn't expect to have this much luck."

Obito gurgled helplessly as the three men walked away.

-

_So much noise. A man with long auburn hair. He was on the outside… Why am I on the inside? _

A long, white spear shot out from one of the pods. The glass was decimated, as if paper. The spear sank back into the pod and a white haired man rose from the pod. His palm was bloody. He had tribal markings on his face, but most interesting were the lines on his chest. There were three, which spun out from a center point. He could feel a high amount of chakra accumulated in this area.

Miles and miles from the Leaf Village, Project Kosshi came to life.

**Next Chapter: Resurrection**


	3. Chapter 3: Resurrection

**Chapter 3: Resurrection**

"So… this is what it feels like… to be alive?" spoke the man as he curled the fingers on his bloody hand. His voice was deep and cold.

He stirred and stepped out of his pod. He approached the giant monitor in the room and got his first look at himself. He had shoulder length white hair, and red markings under and above his eyes. On his chest was a black tattoo of some sort. He felt it… It felt strong… powerful.

He stepped back and examined the room. His eyes fell on the stairway. _Only one-way out…_ The man approached the stairway and climbed them, to the door. With a jiggle of the handle, he found it was locked. He looked down at the bloody palm. _Whatever I did… I hope I can do it again_.

The door was knocked clean off its hinges. The man stepped into the study, holding one hand in the other, fresh blood dripping down his hand. _Shouldn't this hurt more_? he thought as he looked down at the almost nonexistent wound. He looked around. On a desk was a book with many files, folders, and papers in it. Stepping over the felled door, he approached the desk. He opened a folder up and skimmed through the pages. _Akatsuki… what is that?_

"Ah, so you're awake."

The man jumped at the voice. He spun around and crouched as he prepared to attack, but stopped abruptly as he saw the speaker. The speaker was a tall, thick-bodied man with an auburn mohawk and a series of piercings in his face and head. He had the same eyes the longhaired man had.

"Well, Kosshi. I admit, I didn't expect you to be awake so soon," spoke the taller man, looking back at the door and adding, "or so powerful."

"You put me in that pod, didn't you? I want answers. Now," answered Kosshi, the white spear appearing in his hand again as he finished speaking.

"I am no enemy of yours, Kosshi. Rather, I am an ally, and like you, I have spent my life in a pod," he answered. Kosshi relaxed his stance a little, watching the man curiously. "My father, Pein, was the leader of a glorious team of shinobi. Their mission was to subdue and capture the nine different tailed beasts that conflict with our kind, but tragically, his team, the Akatsuki, were killed before their complete success.

The man with the mohawk took a deep breath, "Kosshi, you are not a real person. You are a clone of a man of from an extinct clan with a powerful bloodline limit. The man you are cloned from died 28 years ago, was the last of his kind. His bone marrow was taken from his body in order to create you."

Kosshi opened his mouth to speak, but the other man moved over to the desk and picked up a file. Its contents were soon spread across the table. Kosshi rose to his feet and slowly approached the desk.

There it was. All of it. 'Project Kosshi.' Clone. There were other pieces of information that meant nothing to him. A picture of a man, labeled 'Kimimaro Kaguya.' Something about 'cursed seals.' Mention of men named Zetsu, Kabuto, and Orochimaru. Kosshi read, but did not absorb the information.

The other man spoke softly, "Let me introduce you to yourself, Kosshi Kaguya."

-

The three heirs to the three dojutsus walked. They had been walking all night, at a casual pace, and were now at the border of the Fire Country, only a short walk from the Hidden Rain Village. Kuro stopped just at that border, looking back over his shoulder.

"This is it, then. No turning back from here on out," he mused.

"Why would you want to go back? The Leaf Village is full of nothing but secrets," Roku spat. "Most people in our time do not remember that the Nine Tailed Fox is sealed up in your Hokage, that he's a blood thirsty beast. They praise him without a question."

Takachi's thoughts were effervescent. Roku had told Takachi as much as he knew about Itachi from his papers in his study. _So, my father's mission was the capture the Nine Tailed Fox, and it presides in the Hokage. I must…_

Takachi spoke his mind, "Roku, I request that you leave the question of capturing the Nine Tailed Fox to me. Also, I would like the privilege of eliminating the imposing threats of Sasuke Uchiha and Hatake Kakashi."

Roku smiled and Kuro made a small gasp. The former spoke, "Of course, but in due time. We are not strong enough to take on the most elite shinobi village in the world. We must gather our numbers. And I know just where to go next." Roku took a few more steps, entering the Rain Country. Kuro and Takachi followed in silence.

-

"We're criminals now, aren't we? How is it we just walk the streets?"

It was Kuro who spoke, at sunrise. They had made it to the Hidden Rain Village, and through it's streets, they strolled.

"No. I am a God among these men, and as you walk with me, you will become my disciples. They will never lift their arms against us," Roku answered, leading the small group through the heart of the city.

A old man with a basket hat stepped out of a building. His intent was to go to the market to look for early morning deals, but his eyes fell upon the three. He shuddered. _Pein and Itachi? But they're dead… and who is that with them? The legend is true! He is a God!_

The old man ran over to the three of them and called out, "Master Pein, Master Pein! You've returned! It is a miracle!"

Roku turned his head slightly, not bothering to correct the man, or to even stop, "Inform the rest of the Village, and tell them the dawn has not set." The man, not daring to question his God, ran towards another building, going door to door with the news.

Moments after this encounter, another man approached the three. This one, however, was in their way, with a murderous look in his eye. He wore a cloak, exactly like the one Roku wore.

"Kosshi. I've been expecting you. You've even taken the liberty to dawn the uniform."

"I did not come to endure a trivial conversation," Kosshi answered, a long white spear emerging from his sleeve. "I came to exact revenge on the men that forced me to live in a pod for 28 years. The ones called Zetsu and Pein."

The old man from before ran up to Kosshi and shook him enthusiastically, "Pein has returned! Pein has returned! Rejoice, my friend!" The man pointed at Roku and called out to the sky, "He is back!"

Kosshi's eyes narrowed venomously as he unbuttoned his cloak to his waist, slipping his arms out of the sleeves. Bones emerged out from under his skin. The old man stumbled back and ran away.

-

**Next Chapter: Convoluted**


	4. Chapter 4: Convoluted

**Chapter 4: Convoluted**

Rain was something rare for the Hidden Sand Village. Today was one of those rare days. The usually sandy streets were empty, save for the forming puddles. No kids played, and no adults worked. It was a bad omen to be active in a rainstorm for the Sand villagers, as if asking for a curse on your home. Even the Kazekage stayed inside. 30 years ago, no one would have questioned Gaara keeping to himself, but now, Gaara was a warm person. Still, he stayed inside today.

There was one who didn't follow this tradition, though. Instead, on a rock she sat, busily constructing puppets in the rain. The rain made this girl happy. It washed away her cares and her pain. Her long, red hair, made sleek by the rain, clung to her back as she connected the jaw to her puppet's face.

_Yes… almost an exact replica… _She smiled. Her brown eyes glowed warmly as she stared at her puppet, whose red hair messily fell down its neck. _If only Danna could see this…_

-

Green eyes glared into concentric gray eyes as Kosshi began his approach. The bones in his joints stuck out, tipped sharp at the ends. Clenched tight in his hand was a bone spear, the length of his arm. Even his ribs stuck out, like a fanged mouth.

"I am no enemy of yours, Kosshi. Rather, I am an ally…" Roku said, and Kosshi froze in place. _Where have I heard this before…? That voice…_

"The man in the study… That was you too, wasn't it?" Kosshi hissed, his bones receding into his body slightly.

"I will explain, but you must come with me. Please… discard your weapons," Roku replied, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the 'Boar' ring again, and Kosshi hissed quietly, recognizing the symbol.

I've seen those rings before, the one on your hand and the one you hold. The one in the study told me…they belong to Pein and Zetsu. Do not tell me you are not my enemy!" Kosshi roared, the three black markings on his chest changing slightly, starting to lengthen.

"Both who are long dead," Roku finished. Kosshi continued his advance, and finally, he saw it. The hair was longer, wilder, and the piercings were much different from the picture of the man called Pein. Still, Kosshi didn't trust it.

Interestingly enough, the old man, who had taken cover in a nearby barrel, called out to Roku, "But Master Pein, you are not dead!"

Roku's tossed the 'Boar' ring high into the air. Everyone watching followed the ring, but failed to see the hand signs Roku made. The ground broke open, and water under the ground rose up, spiraling into a tight, cylinder torrent. The torrent shot through the air, forcing the man back into the barrel. Nobody dared to move as the torrent flowed, filling the barrel and spilling over greatly. It continued for five minutes. The old man did not rise again.

"Ignorance is not a blessing," Roku sighed. "I am the son of Pein. As have you, and 5 others, I have spent my life in a pod, but it was for my protection, not my containment, as it was for yours. Kimimaro Kaguya was the most dangerous member of the Kaguya Clan, even to the clan itself. They locked him in a cage when they went out to wars, so he wouldn't go on a killing spree. And you are his clone. Your bloodline died out. If shinobi knew of your existence, they would hunt you down, for how dangerous you are, and for your jutsu."

Kuro added, "He's right. For years, other villages have invaded the Leaf Village trying to steal the secrets of the Byakugan right out of the eyes from the Hyuga Clan members, and I'm not the only one with these eyes, but you're the only one with those bones."

Roku continued, "Instead of opposing us, join us."

Kosshi shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he evaluated his options. The odds were against him, if he chose to fight. He could always pick them off later if he saw it fit.

"Alright. I will come… for now."

Roku smiled lightly and tossed the 'Boar' ring to Kosshi, "This is yours. It is important to our objectives." Kosshi caught it on his spear, which sank back into his arm, slipping the ring onto his finger. He glared at the 'Boar' symbol for a while before he lowered his hand, letting the rest of his bones recede into his body.

Roku continued his walk now as Kosshi slipped his arms back into his cloak and buttoned it up. The Leaf ninjas followed, with Kosshi bringing up the rear.

Roku announced, "Kosshi has his uniform, but none of you have yours. We shall go to my headquarters. You will rest there before we set out again. We still have many more members to collect." Down the road they walked, in silence.

-

"Must we wear these?" Kuro growled as he picked up his cloak. The four were in Roku's study, where uniforms now covered one of the several desks. Kosshi meditated in a corner in silence, while Roku and Takachi flipped through a folder filled with records of Itachi Uchiha's existence.

Roku turned to face the irritated Leaf shinobi, "You must bear the cloud pattern," he spoke, pointing to the red clouds on the single black band of the red cloak. "That will identify us. However else you choose to wear it is up to you."

Kuro looked at it again and began to cut the sleeves away from the cloak. A long pause ensued, to each his own thoughts. Takachi's eyes glared at the paper. _At home… No, in the Leaf Village…We were taught that Lightning Style Jutsu was the natural element of the Uchiha… That explains why I never understood the Lightning Jutsu's he taught to me without the Sharingan's aid… The Uchiha clan is adept in Fire Style! He wanted to keep me weak, didn't he? Teaching me a style I can't grasp on my own… I'll show him…_

"Roku," he spoke quietly, breaking the silence. Even Kosshi looked up as Takachi spoke, "I am going to the Wind Country… I need to practice new jutsu's… ones I can use."

"You are a Rogue Ninja now," Roku's reply came. "You cannot wander freely without challenge. I'm going to ask Kosshi Kaguya to go with you, and, if you come to the Hidden Sand Village, I ask you to find a Sand Ninja who has knowledge of a shinobi called 'Akasuna no Sasori.' If you find such a shinobi, give them this," he paused as he pulled out another ring that carried the word 'Orb' on it, "and ask them to join us."

Takachi took the ring as Kosshi slowly began to rise, "Do not mistake me for a pawn. I go where I wish to go."

"Of course. But you miss a great opportunity to discover who Kimimaro Kaguya really was," Roku mused. "I was about to ask Takachi to then travel to the Hidden Sound, Cloud, and Mist villages after his journey to the Sand. In the Hidden Sound is where Kimimaro lived and nearby, died. In the Hidden Mist, he was raised."

Kosshi sunk back to his seat as Kuro took the floor. "And what will I be doing in this time?" he asked as he cut away the bottom of his cloak, right below the black band.

"I ask you to come with me north, to the remaining Hidden Villages," came the answer. Kuro opened his mouth to respond but decided against it as he put his cloak on, now more of a vest than anything else, over his clothes.

"We shall leave this place at sunrise tomorrow. Prepare and rest tonight," Roku finished as he picked up a book and began to read. The other three climbed the only stairway inside the study, which lead them to their rooms.

-

The rain became a gentle drizzle. The girl on the rock, who was still connecting arm joints to shoulder joints and testing her puppets, looked up and sighed. _I'll have to go in soon…_

She moved her fingers a few times and one of the puppets, a large one (almost three times her size) rose. The large one's barrel-like chest cavity opened, and in the other puppets went. This large puppet had long, brown hair covering its entire face, and a huge brown cloak, which covered it's body. With a quick hand sign from the girl, the puppet was disguised as a small shack, and the girl rose from her rock, departed this shack and sauntered back towards the Hidden Sand Village.

**Next Chapter: The Puppet Mistress**

(I appologize for the rushed feeling it's starting to have. It will get better though!)


	5. Chapter 5: The Puppet Mistress

**Chapter 5: The Puppet Mistress**

(By 'Guillotine,' I mean Zabuza's sword, and the 'Scissor' sword is my own creation, a double bladed sword that can fold up and be used in much the same way a pair of scissors can be used.)

Lazily, the sun began its ascent into the sky, but before even the sun became active, the Neo-Akatsuki was making its move. When Kuro Hyuga rose from bed, Kosshi Kaguya and Takachi Uchiha had already left, and Roku was prepared to go. Begrudgingly, Kuro pulled his uniform over his shirt and picked up his backpack.

"I'm kind of hungry… Where can we eat here?" came his groggy voice.

"Wherever we want. Come."

Roku stepped out of the study into the dim light the outside world began to shed. Kuro shook his head and followed. They trekked a short way to a café near the heart of the Hidden Rain. People stopped to stare at Roku, many still believing it was Pein, but nobody daring to approach him.

Roku closed his eyes impatiently as Kuro sipped at his tea. The former was intently eavesdropping on the table behind him.

"He's a magnificent craftsman, and his partner is said to be the strongest man alive!" said one man, wearing a basket hat that hid his eyes.

"I don't know… I've heard they're a bunch of freaks. And they're from the Hidden Stone Village," replied another man, this one who was much older, and who adorned the Hidden Rain's old headband, with a slash through the four line symbol.

"But the ancestor of this craftsman… no, this genius… his ancestor was said to have built much of the Hidden Stone Village's greatest structures that still stand today!"

Roku rose and faced the table, and the two men looked up at him. The one with the basket hat looked up at him and smirked, but his friend sunk back, mouth agape. The former opened his mouth, "And what do you want?"

Roku opened his eyes finally, and the basket hat shrunk back in fear as he saw the Rin'negan's glare, "You say this craftsman is a genius, and that he can be found in the Hidden Stone Village. Where, specifically? What is his place of work called?"

The older man spoke up, "It's a workshop, simply called 'M's.'"

Roku nodded to the speaker, but his hand shot forward, grabbing the other's throat. Gargling and gasping for air, Roku picked him up and slammed his head back against the wall. The hat fell away, revealing a clean Hidden Rain headband. Kuro, who was unaware of what was going until this point, activated his Byakugan and watched as Roku's cloak-hidden hand rose, a kunai's point showing.

Roku growled, "You will treat your leader with respect. And you will wear his signature on your headband, or you will perish for insubordinance." With a quick slash, the headband was scratched, deep, almost enough to break the steel in half.

Roku dropped him and made a motion with his now free hand. Kuro rose to follow his leader out of the café, but before they even touched the door…

"Leader? Our leader died years ago! We aren't going to let some punk-poser push us around!"

Roku sighed. Three bold, young men appeared suddenly around the two Neo-Akastukis, one with a katana inches from Roku's throat. Roku calmly spoke, "My comrades have more power in one finger than all of you combined." His mouth continued to move, but nothing else was said. Kuro read his lips though, and with three sharp, almost unseen jabs, the three men were felled, one who started coughing up blood.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to question my claim?" Roku continued. Not a soul dared to move, and at long last, a smile came to Roku's face. They were under his thumb now.

-

The sun was high in the sky now, though no one in the Wind Country knew that, because clouds filled the sky, completely masking the sun. There they stood, Uchiha and Kaguya, staring at the rocky exterior of the Hidden Sand Village. Takachi reached into his backpack and pulled out his ANBU mask, dawning it.

"I don't think we will be welcomed appearing as we are," Takachi spoke quietly, his voice muffled by the mask. He took off his cloak as he spoke, folding it up neatly and tucking it into his backpack, "We cannot simply march into the Hidden Sand Village dawning the Akatsuki uniform. Give me yours."

Kosshi lowered his eyes, "You make this demand and expect me to follow. I have no reason to enter the Sand Village. You are to take me to the Sound and Wave villages after this. I will remain here," he finished calmly as he took a seat on a rock near an awkward looking shack.

Takachi frowned, but continued forward, into the Sand Village. _The Hidden Sand Village is an ally of the Hidden Leaf Village. As long as I keep this mask on, I should not be discovered._ He froze in place only seconds later after a loud "Stop!" came from overhead.

Takachi looked over at the speaker and his heart continued to beat. It was only Jinzu, a Sand Village ANBU he had met and befriended on a previous mission. Jinzu laughed and pulled his own mask up, revealing his youthful, but scarred face. The dark red hair fell over his piercing blue eyes.

"Caught you, didn't I?" Takachi's heart froze again as Jinzu spoke, "You thought you'd get away with it, didn't you?"

"Get away with what…?" Takachi answered firmly, feeling his nerve slip. _It would only take one call for the entire ANBU of the Sand Village to be here…_

"Entering the village without paying your friends a visit of course!" Jinzu grinned. "That 'business-as-usual' thing you do. What are you here for, Takachi?"

"Lord Hokage sent me to update Lord Kazekage on the status of the Fire Country," Takachi blurted. This seemed like the right thing to say, but…

"But someone was here just yesterday for that. Has something new and urgent happened?"

"No…" Takachi's mind was racing, "I was supposed to be with the party that came yesterday, but I fell behind. I was following a lead on a Rogue Ninja."

"Really? Which one?" Jinzu asked in honest curiousity.

"Tsunami," Takachi blurted again. This was the only Rogue Ninja he could think of offhand. Tsunami was a Rogue Ninja listed as such in three different villages, taking the secrets of each village he went to with him and selling them to nations preparing for war.

"Ah, that one. They'd pay a Kage's salary to catch that one," Jinzu mused. "They say he's after the Swords of the Seven Mist Swordsmen now."

"Really? Has he recovered any?"

Jinzu laughed, "Of course not. Lord Mizukage possesses the Guillotine, Sharkskin, and Scissor swords. The others remain lost."

Takachi nodded and turned, about to just walk away and Jinzu clapped him on the shoulder. Takachi jumped, but Jinzu spoke before he could, "You don't have to go just yet. Come into the Village! I'll treat you to some ramen."

Beneath his mask, Takachi smiled a sad smile and nodded, following Jinzu into the city.

-

The lone, red haired girl had returned to her rock, but there were footprints all about. She thought little of it though. People usually walk by the rock to enter the Hidden Sand Village. She sat down and made a hand sign, the shack taking its true form. She looked up at the sky, lightly sniffing. _It's going to rain soon…_

She dropped her cloak from her shoulders, and with a few small movements of her fingers, the large puppet opened. She gasped and shrunk back in fear as a wild, white haired man jumped out from the puppet's body cavity. The man glared darkly up at her, his green eyes burning with rage.

"I tried to enter that 'shack' and it swallowed me up. I take it this creation is yours?" growled the angry stranger.

She stood up, taking a defensive stance, "Why are you trying to destroy my creations!?" With a few more finger movements, and much noise, two puppets dashed out, surrounding the wild man on all sides.

The man looked down at her as he straightened up, "I was trying to do no such thing. I sensed that it would rain soon, so I wished to take shelter…" He stopped suddenly as he spotted her left arm, which was from the elbow down, a puppet arm.

"Your arm…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl's fingers moved again, and the three puppets, the large container and the two she pulled out, lunged for him. He saw it coming though, and jumped clear over the three, letting them collide into each other.

He landed before the puppet mistress and a bone spear emerged from his palm. With a quick swipe, the bottom half of her left arm was gone, but inside was not blood, but a gas. It puffed up in a purple cloud, and the man yielded to the weakness it brought to him as he breathed it. He collapsed, and his sight blurred.

-

_Am I in that pod again…? No… I'm alive… I am cold… wet… That girl…_

Kosshi Kaguya jerked awake. It was raining now, and the sky was dark. _How long have I been out…_

He looked over to the rock as he heard clicking noises. There she sat, working away on a puppet. Her arm had been replaced.

"Who… are you?" he asked weakly. His lungs were burning.

"Oh, you're awake," she mused casually, not even looking up. She answered, though reluctantly, "I am called Akayuri. And you are?"

"Kosshi… Kosshi Ka—," he stopped. He remembered what Kuro had said about his bloodline and changed his mind, quickly coughing to cover up the rest.

"I'm sorry about attacking you… You gave me quiet a scare. My puppets are my life, and I can't just let people wander around all over them," she said absently. She reached into a pack on her hip and tossed Kosshi a small vial filled with a ice-blue liquid. "Take this. It'll stop the burning."

Kosshi, welcoming anything to stop that burning, opened and downed it quick. Akayuri laughed a little as she looked back at him, shaking her head. With his throat clear and his lungs starting to feel cool, Kosshi wheezed, "What was that… what happened to your arm?"

Akayuri absently clutched her left arm with her right hand, sighing, "A war injury, years ago… My arm and legs were sliced off, but a special jutsu saved my life… I developed it myself from studying my Danna's papers."

Kosshi rose at long last, on his feet. He walked over to her and shivered. She was wearing shorts and long, black stockings that hid her legs when she fought him, but now the stockings were off, as well as one of her legs. He saw that on her right leg, only from the knee joint down was puppet, but her entire left leg, which she was cleaning now, was a puppet part.

"How do you live without being completely human?" Kosshi asked politely, but the question still made Akayuri sigh. She didn't answer, and Kosshi came around to sit in front of her. Looking up at her eyes, he noticed the beginnings of bags. To change the atmosphere, he quickly asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm 23," she answered quietly, still not looking up from her leg. He nodded and went into his own thoughts until she pulled him out soon, "You know, when you ask someone a question like that, it's polite to offer your own answer…"

"Oh, I'm… not sure how old I am…" Kosshi pondered. He hadn't thought of it before. Is he only a few days old? Or does his age consist of the moment he was conceived from the bone marrow?

"You look like a traveler… How long have you been out?" she asked.

"I was resting in the Hidden Rain Village prior to coming here, only yesterday," he answered.

Akayuri nodded and, to Kosshi's slight disgust, reconnected her leg to her body. She stood up and walked in a small circle, jumped in place, and gave a small spin. Kosshi raised his eyebrow as he watched, and with a small giggle, she sat back down, "Testing it. Sand tends to get in the joins and freeze up the movement. So, I never asked you… why were you trying to enter Kiga instead of going into the Village?"

She smiled at Kosshi's puzzled look and added, "Kiga is the big puppet. He's disguised as a shack because he's too big for me to carry back into the village, and a puppet sitting out in the middle of nowhere is a funny thing."

Kosshi looked up at the faceless giant, and then back at Akayuri, "My partner went into the Village looking for someone who teach him Fire Style Jutsus, and for a place to practice. I didn't feel like following."

Akayuri nodded, "My element is Fire… I can help your friend."

Kosshi looked towards the village. As if on cue, Takachi appeared, walking out of the village with another ANBU member. The other ANBU member's mask was raised though. Takachi still wore his.

The two waited. Takachi and the other man seemed to exchange their goodbyes before Takachi trekked alone towards the rock. Takachi saw the giant puppet before he saw anything else, and called out.

Kosshi answered his call, "It's safe! Come!"

Takachi ran the last several feet and Kosshi introduced Akayuri. After the introductions were out of the way, Takachi told his story.

"An old friend of mine spotted me on the way into the Village, and he insisted we catch up," he spoke coolly. "He showed me around the Village, and when I asked if he knew anyone who used Fire Style Jutsu, he told me that there was only one girl he knew of, and that she was…" he looked at Akayuri and stopped abruptly, noticing her arm and legs, and recalling Jinzu's exact words (a freak!), finishing politely, "…more likely to be found outside the village."

Akayuri offered her hand, and Takachi shook it reluctantly, "I happen to be one of the best Fire Style users in Wind Country."

"Please… teach me?"

She looked at him up and down and smiled, "Of course. You'll need to remove that mask though. Many Fire Jutsus require the mouth." When Takachi made no move to do so, she reached up to do it for him. He jerked back, but the band holding his mask on tore, and away it fell. She gasped and jumped back.

"Itachi Uchiha? Then you must have known Sasori no Danna!"

Takachi stopped in his place. _"Find a Sand Ninja who has knowledge of a shinobi called 'Akasuna no Sasori.' If you find such a shinobi, give them this." _Takachi reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, 'Orb.' Akayuri almost squeeled as she took the ring from his hand

"This belonged to Sasori no Danna! You really are Itachi!?"

"No… I am his son… However, that ring, and much more, can be yours if you come with me."

Akayuri looked at the Sand Village and shivered at her memories of it. She turned back to Takachi and nodded. "Let's go, then."

**Next Chapter: The Craftsman**


	6. Chapter 6: The Craftsman

**Chapter 6: The Craftsman**

"Lord Hokage. He is awake."

A man with wild brown hair and red markings on his cheek addressed the blonde man in the robes. The Hokage lifted his head and looked up at his speaker, nodding slowly as he rose."

"Take me to him."

-

Obito Hatake stared hopelessly up at the light overhead. He had just awoken from the small coma Kuro put him in. _Useless… I was so useless!_

His father, Kakashi Hatake, who he resembled strongly with the exception of Kakashi's headband concealing his Sharingan, sat in the chair beside him. In the little time he had been awake, Obito had recounted the story to Kakashi. Kakashi was now reading Icha Icha Tactics, the last adult novel released by Jiraiya.

"Why… Why, Father…"

"It happens to be my favorite series," he responded coolly.

"No… Father, why was I so useless…?" Obito asked weakly.

Kakashi shook his head, "You weren't. It would have been four against one if the Gentle Fist hadn't knocked you out. The Hyuga and Uchiha clans are powerful, and proud. I'm glad it was Kuro who took you out, and not Takachi."

The door opened. Three adult men filed in. The first was the man with the wild brown hair and red markings. He wore a tough leather outfit under his flak jacket. With him now was a monster-sized dog with white fur. The second wore a loose fitting white robes. His long black hair fell down his back. The third was the Hokage, dawning his traditional hat and robes.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto Uzumaki quietly greeted. "Good morning, Obito."

"Ah. Lord Hokage. Good morning to you," Kakashi lazily saluted.

"Lord Hokage, I am returning to your office to continue my work," Kiba Inuzuka spoke. He ruffled the furry head of his partner, Akamaru, and the two exited the room. Kiba worked as the Hokage's assistant.

Neji Hyuga approached the bed and grabbed Obito by his shirt, "Where did they go!? Where is my son?!"

Weakly, Obito wheezed, "Neji-sensei…"

Kakashi pulled Neji off of Obito, "Enough! The boy just woke up. Takachi and Kuro ran off with shinobi from the Hidden Rain Village on their own free will."

Obito sputtered, "Neji-sensei… both of the shinobi… they had gray eyes… like a dart board… a bunch of circles…"

They stared at one another in silence. Naruto clenched his fist. _The Rin'negan… Jiraiya-sensei…_

"There's nothing we can do for now, except to list Takachi Uchiha and Kuro Hyuga as Rogue Ninja, and to keep our eyes peeled incase they return."

Neji made a motion to protest, but Naruto rested his hand on Neji's shoulder, "It's not easy for me, either. He's my first cousin once removed… How are we going to tell Hinata?"

"I just don't understand where I went wrong… He wasn't raised like me," Neji started to rant, to no one in particular, "Tenten and I made sure he had whatever he needed, and he's a genius… why would he run away?"

Obito made a small cough before he spoke again, "They wore… a cloak… The neckband was high… It was red… but it had a black stripe… and on it… red clouds…"

Every eye in the room except Obito's widened. Naruto's mind was racing, "We must send a messenger to all Hidden Villages, especially the Sand! The Akatsuki is back…"

-

"That's it! Set her down easy!"

"Oi! Get that rock out of here!"

"Sorry, Dad. Stonewall, bring it over here!"

"Damn it, kid, quit playing around with your jutsu!"

"But everything works faster when I use it!"

The workshop known as 'M's' sat at the far end of the Hidden Stone Village. Busily, the workers moved and packed away their projects. Some moved statues, but some statues were simply left out, too big to be moved by hand. Others moved tools and materials. A youthful man, who was spinning and waving his arms magnificently, stood in the center of this busy array of workers. As he moved, so did the tools. A much older man clapped him on the shoulder.

The older man, who was known by all the workers as Dad (especially the youthful man in the center, who was his actual son) growled, "You should save up your chakra. You never know what's going to happen next!"

With a laugh, the young boy beckoned a big man who had just moved an enormous rock. The man known as Stonewall joined Dad and his son. He was a large, muscular man, whose head was crowned by a tall, orange Mohawk. He was unshaven, but not hairy.

"Dad, you worry too much. Stonewall can handle any disaster," the young man chuckled. He had sandy blonde hair, like his dad (though he had considerably more than Dad), which wildly fell down his neck and over his Stone Village headband. His bright blue eyes gave him a boyish look. With a spin, the earthy robes he wore whirling around a wide circle, several tools that had been floating in the air launched themselves into their proper place in a tool shed.

The young man continued, "Besides, we're packing up for the day. What could possibly happen?"

-

"We would have been here sooner if you hadn't forced us to stop," growled the man with spiky auburn hair. He cast a glare with his gray, concentric eyes at his partner.

"You don't have to be so hard, you know," replied the man with the long black hair in a ponytail. He rolled his white eyes. "We're here now, aren't we?"

The first speaker nodded, "Yes. The Hidden Stone Village. We'll find this 'M's' and recruit that craftsman."

"But why do we need a worker like that?"

"There is a statue I need built…"

-

It was completely dark out now. The night was warm for the Hidden Stone Village tonight. A bustling tavern was one of several places with it's lights on, the patrons inside, very lively. The workers of 'M's' worked hard and partied harder. Stonewall stood with his back against the wall as many of his comrades drank and made merry. The young, blonde man joined his coworker, a drink in each hand.

"Come on, Stonewall. It's not a party without you!"

The taller man shook his head. Outside a wind blew, and as it did, Stonewall grabbed the young man's hand, leading him to the back exit of the tavern. The young man staggered off with him curiously, into the night.

Dad laughed and patted one of his workers on the shoulder, "We're making fine progress. The Hidden Stone's growth is impressive. Soon, we'll be the largest Hidden Village in all the land!

"What good is having the largest village under a red dawn?"

This voice was cold and unfamiliar. Everyone turned to face the speaker. There they stood, Roku and Kuro Hyuga, side by side, in cloak and vest, respectively. Several of the drunken men started laughing, but Dad, seeing the cloud pattern and recognizing it's meaning, raised his fist. With a quick swing, he smashed the counter.

The laughing ceased. Every eye was on Dad, "Akatsuki… You bastards have some nerve to show up here again… First you come and take Deidara. What are you here for now?"

Roku tilted his head, replying casually, "You knew Deidara, then?"

"Deidara was one of my best friends, and you sent him to his death, you self righteous punks!"

"Calm yourself. We are simply looking for the head craftsman of the workshop, 'M's.'"

"And that would be my son you're talking about!" Dad growled. "You punks aren't going to take Momoro from me too!"

"Momoro, is it? If the one called Momoro would just step forward…" Roku began.

"You aren't taking him away from me!" Dad roared. He jumped from his chair and lunged at Roku, but Roku wasn't there to receive Dad's fierce punch. His fist, instead, hit the door, reducing it to splinters. Dad looked around…

"You're a foolish old man," came the voice. Dad looked over his shoulder and there he was, right behind him. With a swift jab, Roku, with kunai in hand, had Dad felled, a bleeding stab wound in the old man's back.

Every Hidden Stone villager in the bar watched in horror as Dad's body hit the ground. Seconds later, every one of them launched themselves toward Roku. Roku started to step back, but Kuro jumped in front of him.

"8 Trigrams, Empty Palm!"

The breath was knocked from Roku as he was cast back. Kuro smirked and crouched as the men swarmed him. Time seemed to slow down as Kuro activated his Byakugan, taking a pose.

"8 Trigrams…"

Kuro struck out at one worker, and instantly, he was knocked back. With a flourishing spin, he jabbed another dead center of the chest.

"2 Strikes!"

Kuro sank to the floor and thrust his foot up into the stomach of one of his attackers. He swung it around, catching another in the face.

"4 Strikes!"

"Enough!"

Roku was on his feet again, and the men stopped to stare, making a foolish mistake. Kuro was back on his feet, and cried out, "Rotation!"

The men surrounding Kuro were sent flying in every direction. Once the two Akatsukis were the only ones standing, Roku bellowed, "We do not wish to kill you all. We only wish to take the one called Momoro and…"

"Get off me! What's that noise! I have to see…"

Momoro had just ran back into the tavern, with Stonewall close behind. Both their eyes shot open as they beheld the scene. All the men were at least wounded, if not dead. Momoro's eyes fell upon the large man laying closest to him…

"Dad!!" he cried as he collapsed beside him. He scrambled for his arm, attempting to take his pulse. There was nothing to take.

"No… No!"

Momoro stood and began to run at Kuro, who stood at the center of the mess. It was Stonewall, however, who grabbed and held the sandy blonde man still. Momoro writhed and pulled, but the big man would not bulge. Tears flowed freely down his face.

"And who is this whelp?"

"You're the craftsman known as Momoro, aren't you?"

Momoro didn't acknowledge either of them. His chest heaved as he gave up fighting his giant comrade. Roku, kunai still in hand, pressed the point against the steel plate of Momoro's headband and lightly drug it across. The bangs were lifted, and icy blue eyes glared at Roku.

"You have his eyes…" Roku noted coldly, looking at Dad. "So you are Momoro?"

"I… I am…"

"You are an expert craftsman… Do you think you can create a statue capable of sealing?"

"Yes… I do…" Momoro choked, a small smile appearing on his face. Before Roku knew any better, Kuro had begun to rotate again. Several kunai clattered to the ground.

"Roku… Those kunai were floating," the Hyuga man stated incredulously.

"Floating? Impossible…" Roku looked to Momoro, who had apparently seen the attack coming, "You will tell me who attacked me, or I will kill everyone in this room."

Momoro remained adamant, until a nod from Roku. With the nod, Kuro began to approach one of the men who was getting back on their feet.

"No! It was me!" cried Momoro before Kuro's fingers poked the man. Kuro quickly dropped his hostage and tilted his head.

"You? But your giant friend is restraining you… A clone?"

"My jutsu… magnetism… don't hurt anyone…" Momoro sobbed.

Roku smiled as he saw the Achilles' heel. "You will come with us then, or they shall die."

"Only… if Stonewall… My partner…"

Roku cut him off, his smile growing more malicious, "Partner? Of course he can come…" Roku remembered that this man was said to be the strongest alive… An asset to their cause…

"Then… there is no choice to make… I am yours…"

Momoro's heart sank, but he knew it was the only thing he could do.

**Next Chapter: Attacked**


	7. Chapter 7: Attacked

**Chapter 7: Attacked**

Night was setting in. Three days had passed since Akayuri had joined Takachi and Kosshi. This small band was at the Valley of the End. They made their first real stop in the three days at the base of the two great monuments, of Uchiha Madara and the First Hokage.

"So, Madara founded Akatsuki to capture the Bijuu?" Akayuri mused, looking to Takachi.

"Yes. It's unknown, the exact fate of Madara. The last known sighting of Madara was 25 years ago, however, so he is presumed dead," Takachi sighed.

"Nice history lesson. If it's all the same to you two, I'd like to hurry up and learn my own," came Kosshi's impatient growl.

"I expected you to come here, Takachi Uchiha."

Takachi's ears perked up in recognition. "Well… I didn't expect you to… Do you want revenge for Obito?"

"Yes… but more importantly… Those cloaks resemble the ones that the Akatsuki wore when they were around. So the rumor is true… You're going to help them revive the…"

"Old man, show yourself!" Kosshi's called out as he slipped his arms out from the sleeves of his cloak, spiky bones emerging from under his skin.

Out from under the waterfall, a blur shot. From rock to rock, the blur shot to, until finally at the top of the head of the First Hokage. The Akatsuki's darted in a similar manner to the top of Madara's head. Akayuri gasped, upon seeing their enemy, and called out to the monument of the First, "You're one of the jerks who helped kill Sasori no Danna!"

Takachi smirked, folding his arms; "I'll leave the first move to you… Kakashi Hatake."

-

"You want me to recreate the sealing statue the Akatsuki used 25 years ago?" came the voice of the sandy haired shinobi.

"That shouldn't be hard for you, hearing your reputation," came Roku's casual answer. "But first, we must gather more members."

"And everyone of them gets a ring like this?" Momoro held up his hand, the 'South' ring sitting on his left ring finger.

"Yes."

"Then why doesn't Stonewall get one?" came Momoro's slightly annoyed question.

"Stonewall has not proven himself to be useful to our cause yet. You have the reputation as a great craftsman, confirmed by your own father, accidentally. Additionally, you have shown your jutsu, which has caught my interest." Roku shook his head slowly.

The group following Roku had just made it to the border of the Earth Country and the Hidden Grass Village. Momoro's question's continued, "What do you plan on doing here?"

Roku closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, "I have heard of a clan of psychics that reside in the Hidden Grass Village."

-

"The Sixth Hokage is going to fight us!?" Akayuri whimpered. She had heard stories of the Copy Ninja, none of which she wanted to believe at this second.

"No. The Sixth Hokage is going to fight me," came Takachi quietly. With a flash, Takachi was gone, from one head to the other. A loud clang broke the silence as Takachi's kunai clashed against Kakashi. The two men pushed against one another until Kakashi jumped back.

_Can't drag this out… I'll have to use the Lightning Blade and kill him early, _Kakashi planned.

With the quick hand signs, the lightning chakra came to Kakashi's hand, and within seconds, Kakashi ran at Takachi. Takachi dare not budge, as Kakashi's hand plunged through the chest of the Rogue Ninja.

Takachi's body dispersed into a flock of crows. Kakashi, his vigilant Sharingan scanning the sky, spun around and caught Takachi again, blocking another kunai strike from above. Kakashi threw a kunai at the Rogue with his free hand, but the result was another murder of crows.

"I'm not good enough at Lightning Style Jutsu to defeat someone whose element is Lightning, and I don't know any Fire Style Jutsu yet, thought I should," Takachi began. Slowly, Kakashi turned to face the source of the voice. He continued, "I was also hoping to keep this trick a secret until much later… But it appears I have no choice."

Takachi closed his eyes as he continued, "You were so strong, Kakashi… It was said that you survived a fight with my father in the Akatsuki data files? You must be pretty unlucky this time."

Kakashi stepped back a bit, watching Takachi cautiously. _Is he going to perform the Lightning Blade against me…?_

Slowly, the eyes opened. _No…it can't be!_

_-_

"_How can this be? He's become this strong!?"_

'_Hello Kakashi. Welcome to the inside of your mind.'_

"_I know where I am… What are you planning on doing?"_

'_You know where you are? Then you've experienced this technique before, and you've survived it. How very unlucky for you this time. How was it last time? Something like this?'_

_Before he knew better, Kakashi was nailed to a large target. Before him, a small army of Takachi stood, poised, each with three kunai in both hands._

'_Welcome back, then, to Tsukuyomi. Welcome to the end'_

-

Two seconds later, Kakashi collapsed, unmoving, un-breathing. The Copy Ninja had fought his last.

**Next Chapter: The Psychic**


	8. Chapter 8: The Psychic

**Chapter 8: The Psychic**

The moon was completely in the sky now as the Akatsuki with Roku entered the Hidden Grass Village. Surprisingly, the streets were full of activity. Kids played along side the streets as older patrons visited the street side merchants to barter.

After a long silence, Momoro's innocent questions broke free again, "Do you know where to find this clan?"

"No, but somebody here must," came the leader's answer. He added, "I would appreciate it, Kuro, if you could keep a Byakugan open. If you see someone who look to have information, or one with an abnormal chakra flow around the head, notify me immediately."

Momoro yawned, "So we're just shooting blindly? I'm going to the tavern then." With a casual wave, Momoro turned away from the others, a small smile on his lips as he walked away. Stonewall made a move to follow, but Roku gripped his shoulder.

"You're our insurance. He could just run off if we let you follow him."

Stonewall nodded absently and continued with Roku and Kuro. They did not make it far before they were stopped by a tall, spiky hair shinobi of the Grass Village.

"Nice costumes! I almost mistook you for Akatsuki!" he grinned, offering his hand. "Of course, Zetsu would be the one doing the foot work if that were the case. I'm called…"

But before he could finish, the three had walked off, now aware of the slight flaw in their appearance.

-

_That worked better than I thought it would._

Momoro walked the streets alone, lost in his thoughts. _Of course they wouldn't let Stonewall follow… But that'd be too easy. But they let me go, so I could… _He shook his head in disgust at his own thoughts. _I can't just abandon Stonewall… I need to formulate a plan…_

"Excuse me…"

But where do I start? I could assemble a resistance here in the Grass to help me…

"Excuse me…"

But who would help me? And what would I tell them? 'The Akatsuki are coming! Save my friend!' I need to be more subtle if that's the ca—

"Eek!"

Momoro came back to reality as he collided with a small girl. She dropped the pot in her hands, and into shards it shattered, splattering dirt all over the ground. Momoro recoiled and fell into this dirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry… are you alright?"

With a giggle, she nodded, "You, however, are not so much… that was a pot of the finest blend of manure in the Hidden Grass Village, perfect for herbs and shrubs."

Momoro gagged as he threw himself out of the manure, shaking the back of his cloak. He looked down at her to realize that she was actually a young woman with a small frame and wild green hair. She wore a Grass Village headband over her eyes. In his innocent, somewhat absent nature, he blurted out, "How can you see like that?"

She giggled again, waving a finger at him, "You walked into me, as I recall it, so wearing your headband on your forehead obviously doesn't help you see. Also, I'm blind."

Momoro gnawed at the inside of his lip, "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to.."

"Don't worry about it. I can get around just fine."

"How do you…"

"A special ability of my clan. I can get around without sight." She shook her hair about and offered her hand, "I'm called Izune. What about you?"

He gave his hand in return, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "It's Momoro."

Her mouth opened a little in a delighted smile, "The Momoro? From the Hidden Stone Village? Your work is legendary! What are you doing here? Have you come to make a statue for us?"

The young craftsman blushed, as he shook his head, "No… I'm… on a mission of sorts. I have to find something in this village."

Her smile faded a little, but she took him by the wrist and tugged at his arm, "Well, let me show you around then. Maybe I can help you."

He swallowed, his nerves beginning to stand on edge. _I don't want to put anyone else in danger…_

"Perhaps I should just…"

"No, I insist," came her response, cutting him off completely as she tugged again, leading him down an alleyway.

-

"Momoro is still wearing his cloak…"

"I know, Kuro. That's good for us. He'll be easy to find," the leader answered. Kuro growled in the back of his throat as he folded up his Akatsuki cloak. _He seems to know the answer to everything…_

"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10…" Kuro began.

"7."

Kuro sputtered, "What the hell! Why do we need a psychic from here! You just totally read my mind!"

Roku shook his head as he put on a pair of sunglasses, "Statistical probability. 7 is the most often picked number in this case. Enough of this foolishness. Let's continue looking now."

Kuro looked to Stonewall, who had just put on a clean, black muscle shirt. Stonewall sported a huge smile on his face. "And what the hell are you smiling about? Don't you have anything to say about this?!"

Stonewall shook his head and followed Roku out. Kuro cursed under his breath, and after slinging his backpack over his shoulder, followed him out of the abandoned house they broke into. Now that they were changed and discrete, they continued their hunt, vigilantly watching the streets.

-

"No… way… You're a psychic?"

Izune nodded to Momoro's question. Quickly, Momoro covered his eyes and squeaked, much to Izune's amusement.

"It doesn't make a difference if your eyes can be seen or not. I can read your thoughts unrestrained. I know that you're wondering how long I've been reading your thoughts, and to set your mind at ease, the first thought I read was, 'Well, she's a cutie.'"

Momoro blushed again, but in a second, straightened up and gasped, "That was after I introduced myself… So you know what my mission really is?"

She nodded, "I also know that you're in this against your will… If you find the psychic the one called Roku is looking for, then he is bound to cut you some slack, and think that you really want to be an Akatsuki… right?

Momoro blinked, "You're perceptive too… But I don't want anyone to be hurt…"

She nodded again, "So I'll come with you willingly."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"But what about…"

"Momoro, I'm a blind psychic. This village has no real place for me. Even in my clan, they think I'm weak because I was born blind. The other members of my clan can all see. So leaving is the best for me."

"If you say so…"

Izune giggled, "And I do say so. Let us find your comrades then."

-

"Damn it, Roku. We've been walking for 2 hours, and we haven't spotted a single psychic. Everyone you've talked to claims to know nothing about them. This was all for nothing!" Kuro called out.

"Kuro… You haven't been using your Byakugan, have you?" came the cool response.

"I thought we were trying NOT to give away our identities, so I haven't used it since we stopped at that house!"

"Use it now. One more time."

Kuro cursed to himself as he activated his eyes. In a quick sweep, he spotted…

"Roku… we don't have to look anymore… Momoro is coming towards us from the east, and with him is a girl with an abnormal chakra flow around her head."

The corner of Roku's lips curved up into a smile.

-

Momoro was gnawing at his lip again. _I'm leading this girl to possible slavery… Maybe even death…_

"I'll accept whatever fate has in store for me," Izune answered his thoughts. She skipped ahead of him a bit. Momoro looked up and saw Stonewall and the others, leaning against the side of a building, waiting. They weren't wearing their Akatsuki cloaks, but Izune seemed to know that they were the ones he was bringing her to.

"One more thing!" Momoro called out to her. "How do you move about so freely if you really are blind?"

"My psychic ability allows me to scan the area around me for obstacles. I see them in my mind," she answered, and with a small spin, she stopped before the others. "Hello! My name is Izune!"

Roku raised an eyebrow and looked up to Momoro, who shrugged. Roku looked back over to the girl and began, "I am…"

"Roku, leader of the new Akatsuki. You want to find a psychic to…" she finished for him, pausing as she read his thoughts, "…find missing rings?"

His mouth agape, Roku nodded, "Everything you've said is true… Can you do this?"

She nodded, "Of course. It might take a while, because I need to focus, and you want to gather more members, so we should keep moving."

She turned around and skipped off a little ways. Everyone else stared at her oddly, until she called to the others, "Come now! You want to enter the Hidden Waterfall Village within the next two days, right?"

Roku nodded and followed Izune. Momoro caught up with the other two, recounting the meeting to them and excluding the troubling details. Kuro hissed, "I don't know what the hell you were thinking. This girl is bubbly and spontaneous, and she's psychic? That sounds like a bad combination."

Momoro shook his head, watching her skip along, "I don't know. I think it'll be interesting."

**Next Chapter: Infamous!**


	9. Chapter 9: Infamous!

**Chapter 9: Infamous!**

"Boss! We have five shinobi heading towards the village entrance!" came the call from the watch post of the Hidden Waterfall Village, in a loud whisper, almost inaudible next to the waterfall. The watchman seemed to be calling to a bush.

"Is that so?" came a deep voice from the bush. An uncharacteristic, high-pitched laugh broke from the throat of the speaker. "And do they carry anything of value?"

Straining to see, the shinobi who stood atop the watch post began to describe them, "No… they dress fair… and… Oh my God… There's a boy among them who appears to be the craftsman Momoro!"

"Momoro? Never heard of him," the deep voiced man in hiding responded.

"He's descended from one of the founders of the Hidden Stone Village. He performs a special jutsu, and is an extremely skilled worker. It looks like he's in company with a Grass, Rain, and Leaf shinobi… an odd bunch. The fifth shinobi does not wear a headband. I can't identify him."

The man in the bush, however, had stopped listening by now. _Descended from one of the Stone Village founders, eh? I bet there'd be a pretty price on your head…it's not like the other four will be missed, either. Easy pickings. Perhaps I should leave the bodies at the watch post. Let my reputation grow a little more… _

-

"I sense the presence of one of the rings!" Izune called out. Two days had passed since Izune joined the group. They had walked non-stop towards the Waterfall.

"And the entrance of the village is in sight," Roku spoke, looking around.

"Where? I just see a waterfall…" Kuro activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. "Ah, never mind. It's behind that waterfall… Should have figured—Look out!"

Izune grabbed Momoro by the back of his shirt as the ground beneath the latter gave out. The psychic pulled the craftsman back, breathing quietly "Traps…"

Momoro took a quick look around, but was taken by the shoulder. The hand was Kuro's. "The traps are the least of our concern. There's a watchman up ahead, but in the bushes, there are several shinobi in hiding."

With a small laugh, Momoro pulled a scroll from his belt. He threw it open, and as he did, many kunai, shuriken, and shards of sharp metal appeared in the air in puffs of smoke. There, they were suspended in the air.

"Secret Jutsu: Metal Storm!"

Every piece of metal flew high into the air. They climbed higher and higher until reaching a pinnacle, where every one of them turned their points to the ground. With a wave of Momoro's hand, the weapons rained down on the bushes. Several grunts and groans were emitted, but some of the weapons clanged, the enemies having defended the onslaught.

Suddenly, the flow of the waterfall changed. The water raised up and in a powerful torrent, struck the five Akatsuki. The waterfall washed over them, relentlessly, until Roku managed to get into a tree. He performed a few hand signs and the waterfall split, half of it washing back over the bushes. Soon, though, and all at once, the waterfall returned to it's normal flow as shinobi in the bushes emerged.

Seven survivors had leapt from the bushes and landed before the Akatsuki. An eighth, the man on the watch post, joined this group. One man approached the Akatsuki as they began to recover. He had dark blue hair that fell wildly around his head. On his back…

"Samehada!?" Roku called out in recognition.

"Yes," sneered the man in his deep voice, "The Sharkskin Sword. One of three swords that used to belong to the now late Mizukage."

"So you've killed the Mizukage…?" Roku analyzed.

"Yes, and now his toys are mine. I am in possession of 5 of the 8 Swordsman of the Mist Shinobi. The Guillotine Sword of Zabuza Momochi. The Sharkskin Sword of Kisame Hoshigaki. The Scissors Blade of Uratobi Wakamaru. And the two Lightning Rod Swords of Raiga Kurosuki," ranted the proud man as he clutched the grip of the Sharkskin Sword.

"Raiga's swords!? They were said to have been found by…" Momoro started.

"Mizu Namikawa. Also known as the Shark of Water Countries, the Blue Moccasin, and, more commonly…"

"Tsunami," finished Izune.

"Ah, my prey knows my name. I shall honor you with a quick death," sneered Tsunami as he pulled the Sharkskin from its belt. He held it high in his hand…

And higher it went…

And higher… The sword had pulled itself right out of Tsunami's hand. Tsunami's eyes widened, reaching to each of his sides for the Lightning Rods, but they, too, pulled right out from his grip. The three swords descended from the sky, impaling and cleaving through the remainder of Tsunami's followers.

Triumphantly, Momoro rose, "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? Now, join your followers to their end…" With a wave of his hand, the Lightning Rod Swords had turned, their points pressing into Tsunami's back. Tsunami, however, followed his hand.

He snickered, "Akatsuki, huh?"

Momoro's eyes widened, "What… We're not…"

"Don't lie to me, boy. You're wearing Kisame's ring. I've tried to steal that ring right off the hand of Kisame himself," Tsunami started. "Truth is, I've a ring like that too."

Roku had jumped from his tree and begun an approach on Tsunami, "Do you now?"

Izune answered for him, "On his right hip, in that bag."

Tsunami reached into the bag Izune pointed out and held up the ring for Roku to see. 'Blue.'

"So it still exists…" Roku mused. "It was said to have been destroyed in a massive explosion…"

"Dad told me that story!" Momoro blurted.

Ignoring this, Roku continued, "How did you find it?"

"I'm a bit of a collector, if you didn't know," Tsunami responded, adding his high-pitched laugh to it. "I've traveled the world gathering as many jutsu and artifacts as I could. It cost me a good amount of money to buy this ring off a man, and I know what it means, so there's only one way you'll get it off me."

"He wants to join us," Izune stated casually.

"What's with this girl? Is she…"

"Yes, I'm psychic," she answered as she faced him. Tsunami glared up at the headband-hidden eyes, but she simply giggled, "And you can stop thinking about killing me now. I can destroy your brain in just a thought."

"Bah… Either way, the girl's right," he continued as he reached into another pouch, pulling out a cigarette. "I've taken on so many opponents in my life, I need something new, something more… and what's more than a Bijuu?"

Roku smiled a little, "I like your attitude… Keep the ring and come with us."

Tsunami nodded as he lit the cigarette, "Ha… Just like that? Just a warning, but I can't enter the Hidden Waterfall Village, nor can I enter the Hidden Wave or Rain…"

"The Rain is our headquarters."

"Never mind that last part then…" Tsunami puffed a cloud. "I'm sure you require rest, though, so for tonight, we'll bunk in my headquarters outside of the village. And then…?"

"We return to the Hidden Rain and wait for the others." Roku finished, his eyes gleaming in the afternoon light.

**Next Chapter: 'I am Death'**


	10. Chapter 10: 'I am Death'

**Chapter 10: 'I am Death'**

A day or two had passed. The six Akatsuki returning from the Waterfall Village were now settled in the Hidden Rain headquarters. A hard rain fell outside. It was late in the night. Most slept, but Roku, who didn't seem to require such a need, and Izune, who meditated into the early morning, carried about almost silently, exchanging snippets of conversation from time to time.

"Are you sure about what you said earlier?" Roku's question came as he flipped through one of his files. He stared down at a page listing the rings the Akatsuki bored, specifically, 'Void' and 'Three.'

"Of course I'm sure!" she replied some what defiantly, shaking her green hair back. She rose a moment to change her sitting position, "They're both in the Hidden Sound Village."

Roku nodded, pulling the last ring, 'North,' from his pocket, rolling it around between his fingers, "Then I will leave this in the hands of Takachi and Kosshi. Hopefully, they can come across the rings without any aid…

-

"Hey, shithead! I'm friggen hungry over here."

Kabuto Yakushi shook his long gray bangs back as he looked to the one addressing him. His eyes glared darkly from behind his glasses, free of the purple markings that used to surround them. "Just chew your tongue. This is an intricate procedure," he answered.

"I don't give a shit about you wanting to separate Orochimaru's remains from your body. You abducted me from where I laid. Stop wasting time on yourself and figure out a way to fix me already!"

Kabuto sighed. _He's getting irritated… and completely in control of 90 of my body again… I suppose I can start researching a way to recreate his body…_ "Alright, I'll get you something to eat, then I'll start research…"

"Good… This dinky lair is pissing me off. I'm tired of staring at Orochimaru's dead hand over there… The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can kill those leaf bastards… especially… Shikamaru Nara"

Kabuto walked out of the research room. On his table lay a scalpel and a pile of dead tissue, extracted from Kabuto's body, the remains of Orochimaru he infused himself with 25 years earlier and had been battling with ever since. Various experiments lay in jars all around the room. In one of these jars, a bubbling green liquid holding a few fingers, one with a ring on it. In another, a white-haired head, belonging to the man who had cursed at Kabuto.

Kabuto returned with a plate carrying a sandwich. He slid the sandwich into the top of the jar, where it fell on the head.

"Ack! Can't you just friggen feed me? It's kind of hard to eat this way!"

"You'll adapt, Hidan," came Kabuto's answer as he pushed up his glasses, "You always do."

A crash came from the room Kabuto had just left. He jumped, since he and Hidan's head were the only living people in the lair these days. Carefully, he stepped back into the room, summoning his chakra to his hand for his scalpel jutsu. The perpetrator, though, did not even try to hide, though he was hard to see.

He stood in a corner, wearing pitch-black cloak and hood. The only visible feature on him was an ANBU mask, an owl's face. A low, deep laugh broke from behind the hood. Kabuto called to him, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"All of that you will know before you die. But first, I ask you kindly to hand over all the Forbidden Jutsu research you have, and this facility, quietly. You and whoever else in here can leave peacefully after…"

Kabuto had stopped listening, running up on the cloaked figure and plunging his scalpel-jutsu powered hand into the cloak. The man inside had moved, though, avoiding the stab… but inside his cloak, Kabuto noticed, was a skeleton, wrapped around the man's body. And… _The skeleton is moving on it's own!_

"Who the hell are you?!" Kabuto called in panic, but the hand of the skeleton had plunged forward, impaling Kabuto.

The cloaked man answered, "I… I am Death!!"

-

"God damn it, Kabuto. What the hell's taking you so long? Kill the damn intruder and…"

Hidan stopped as he saw the cloaked man enter the room. "Well shit… He's dead, isn't he?"

"He is. I'll be taking over this facility now. And… wait a minute… You're a head in a jar?"

Hidan faked an amazed look, "Oh my Jashin! Really? Am I? Nice eyes, dumbass."

"You're Hidan? From the old Akatsuki?"

"Old? The hell does that mean?" Hidan growled, trying to move his head in his jar, closer to the cloaked one.

"I've heard rumors from the Hidden Leaf Village that a new Akatsuki is forming. That Pein is alive, and that this new Akatsuki has a member of the Uchiha and the Hyuga families, thus, they have all three of the great eye jutsus," he answered. The man moved from jar to jar, examining the contents.

"Sounds interesting… I bet they'd welcome you with open arms if you brought them me. I'm a VIP!" Hidan gleamed.

"I'm not really concerned about you, but these rings…" a gloved hand reached out and pulled the 'Void' ring off of Orochimaru's dead hand, "would definitely interest them… Joining…"

"It really is a good idea. Easiest way to get away with Forbidden Jutsu."

"And now you don't have a choice…" came a third voice. The cloaked man spun around to see three shinobi standing at the exit. The man in the middle stared coldly at him, and the cloaked one noticed the Sharingan in the other.

"Come with us, if you will. And bring the talking head with you."

"I'm more than a talking head, you piece of shit!" Hidan growled, trying to jump in his jar, but made no real movement as the cloaked one picked up the jar.

"Your names?" came the question from the girl, looking up at the head interestedly.

"Yami, and this is Hidan," came the cloaked ones answer. He fell into silence, but the white haired man poked Yami in the back.

"Don't get comfortable. We have more questions for you."

**Next Chapter: Runaway**


	11. Chapter 11: Runaway

**Chapter 11: Runaway**

The group moved into the room Yami originally infiltrated. Hidan's head was sat beside Yami, who was moved into the corner, surrounded by the other three shinobi. A lingering smell caused the girl to cough.

The tall, wild haired man stepped forward, a pale sword emerging from his sleeve, "What do you know about Kimimaro Kaguya?"

"Kaguya? That's the clan with the Dead Bone Pulse Jutsu, if I remember… though the rest of the name sounds unfamiliar…" Yami drew back as the sword lifted. He made a small clicking noise as he noticed the swords origin; the palm of the user.

"I also seem to remember the clan dying out. So you're a survivor?"

"Something like that. You know more then you're letting on, though, don't you?" pressured the wilder man, the tip of the sword tapping against the mask.

"Nothing else."

"You shouldn't lie. I know this location was the home of Kimimaro Kaguya, and to be welcomed into it, you must have some connection to Orochimaru, who was his keeper," growled the white haired man.

"This shithead just broke in today. The one who's really in charge around here is Kabuto Yakushi, but he just died," Hidan called, looking from person to person with a bored look on his face. Hidan stopped on the quiet one, though, noting the Sharingan to himself.

"Damn it! Head, what do you know?"

"Nothing really… I was brought here after Kimi-whatever died," Hidan yawned. "Can we get along with our lives already?"

The one with the Sharingan eyes spoke up, "It appears they have nothing more to contribute… Kosshi, feel free to search the laboratories. Akayuri, I would like you to stand at the exit and look out."

The girl tilted her head, "Are you sure you can keep these two from killing us as we go? You've had only about a week to learn Fire Style Jutsu."

He nodded, "Of course. I copied what I saw, and have the elemental affinity required to use the techniques I was shown."

She nodded and turned, taking a seat at the door. Kosshi had already moved into the laboratory. Yami made a motion to follow, but a kunai thrown a few inches in front of Yami's path deterred that decision. Yami immediately sat back down, "Tell me, Uchiha. Are the rumors true? Is a new Akatsuki really forming?"

The dark haired man nodded, "And it's Takachi, for future reference. Uchiha isn't a name I much care for anymore."

The masked one snickered, "I suppose not. You have his look, that Itachi Uchiha. And those eyes… If the rumor's really are true, then I suppose you'll be needing this?" Yami pulled the ring 'Three' from his pocket and showed it to Takachi. The two Sharingan became fuller as his eyes widened.

"Indeed…" Takachi reached forward to take the ring, but the gloved hand pulled away.

"I have two rings. I will give you this one if you let me keep the other," the man growled, shuffling his feet impatiently.

"Well… The only way I can allow that is if…"

"I were to join your cause, which I shall," finished the cloaked one. Hidan chortled.

"I don't suppose I could rejoin too, could I?" he snickered, "I have a mean bite."

"You're currently useless to our cause," Takachi's answer came.

"I had only a brief moment to analyze, but I believe, with the experiments here in this lair, I'll be able to create a new body for Hidan, though it may take a long time," Yami mused. Hidan blinked, snickering again.

"I already like this bastard more than Kabuto. The four eyes never wanted to do anything but control his own power and resurrect the dead. Never really tried to do shit for me."

Takachi shook his head, "This is all very trivial. We have two more villages we need to infiltrate. Come with us."

Yami responded, "We can't carry Hidan around though, so we must leave him here. I will join you on your journey, only because I wish to meet your leader. Otherwise, I will locate myself here."

Kosshi stepped back into the room, his eyes lowered, "We don't need to go to the Hidden Wave village… I found everything I'm looking for here…"

Takachi look to Akayuri, who simply nodded and rose, walking out. The others followed, Takachi, who took up the irritating job of moving Hidan back to the experiment room (Jackasses! You can't just leave me here!), bringing up the rear.

Yami tapped the front of his mask as he walked, "I know of a most useful character whom resides in the Hidden Cloud Village. She'll do anything for the right price, and I think she would be an asset to the group."

Takachi tilted his head, "What can she do?"

Yami answered, "She's a master of genjutsu of all forms. People come from around the world to see her, since she mostly uses it therapeutically. It's almost like healing… but in the same respect, she can be more dangerous then even Tsunami."

"I hear that name a lot these days…" Takachi quickened his pace to catch up with Yami. "What's his status?"

"He successfully killed off the Mizukage and stole away with Three of the Swords…"

"Of the Seven Mist Shinobi?" Takachi blurted out, remember his conversation with Jinzu.

"Yes. Those are his last known whereabouts, in the Hidden Wave Village."

"It's a long walk to the Hidden Cloud, isn't it?" Akayuri asked.

"Only another two days out."

-

Slowly, those two days passed. The large gate of the Hidden Cloud Village was in view now. Dark clouds filled the sky, surging with electricity. A few drops fell to the ground, and Akayuri stopped, smiling a little, as she lifted her head to the rain.

"Let's keep moving, it's going to be a hell of a storm." Takachi analyzed as he pulled the hood of his traveling cloak over his head.

"Stop!"

"Don't let him get away!"

The group looked to the gate. Two shinobi guards had called out from the watch post at the top of the gate, but a third had leapt to the top of the gate. This silver streak jumped… no, _flew _from the top of the gate. The two guards leapt from the post and tailed him.

The chase was heading right for the four Akatsuki.

Everything happened at once. A puff of smoke, and the large container puppet of Akayuri's leapt forward, clutching the man fleeing in it's arms. Out from Yami's cloak, the skeleton inside leapt out too, a chain around it's neck, the end of the chain attached to one of Yami's arm braces. The skeleton pounced and clutched one of the guards. Kosshi had leapt through the air and landed before the second guard. His ribs shot out from his cloak, tearing the fabric and scraping the sides of the guard as they wrapped around him. Takachi appeared behind everyone and announced, "You've gotten in our way. This is the end for…"

A burst of electricity sent the guards, Takachi, Kosshi, the skeleton, and the puppet flying. The electricity followed along the metal chain of the skeleton and shocked Yami as well.

Akayuri and the runner were the only ones left standing. She almost froze as he ran past her, but quickly, she attached chakra strings to him, and he stopped dead in his path.

"Damn it! I don't have enough… chakra…" the man moaned, trying to fight the pull of the strings. His silver, spiky hair fell over the back of his neck in messy tuffs. Akayuri turned him around, facing her. He wore a royal blue cloak over his shoulders, and his eyes, an electric blue, stared weakly at her.

"Hello," Akayuri started, slowly approaching him, "Who are you? Why are you trying to run? Why do these men try to stop you?"

The man examined Akayuri for a while before deciding that not answering was just as pointless as answering. "I'm called Raikudo. This village is full of bad memories for me… and they try to stop me because leaving would make me a Rogue Ninja… though after the Electric Field Jutsu I used, that's now guaranteed…

Akayuri nodded, lowering her hands. Raikudo almost collapsed as he regained movement. Behind her, Kosshi cried out, "Don't let him get away with what he did! Kill him!"

"Wait…" Takachi breathed, suddenly less than a foot behind Akayuri, making her jump. "That was very impressive… If you're going to run, run with us."

Kosshi called out again, "I'm really hurt… The puppet's chest cavity was blown open, and the two guards are dead… Yami's unconscious…"

"We'll regroup half a mile back, away from the village," Takachi decided. "I think we now have the best the Cloud Village has to offer…"

Akayuri looked to Raikudo, but noticed, for the first time, a glare on his face. She followed the look back to Takachi, who was returning a glare. _I wonder what's p with these two…_

**Next Chapter: Pairing**


	12. Chapter 12: Pairing

**Chapter 12: Pairing**

The group lead by Takachi had taken four days to retrace their steps, moving from the Valley of the End to the Hidden Rain Village instead of the Sand. Raikudo and Takachi had said nothing more for the entire walk. In silence, they entered the Hidden Rain Village. They were not there for long before coming across a small, green haired woman, whose Grass Village headband sat over her eyes, and a man with sandy blonde hair who crouched beside her.

The woman jumped in front of the group, and with a cheerful smile, she addressed them, "Hello! My name's Izune! I was sent by Roku to retrieve you!"

Before anyone could ask any questions, the man rose up and added, "She's psychic… She already knows you're the rest of the new Akatsuki."

Izune giggled a little, "Yep. And I know you brought me a ring, which was so very considerate of you!" She turned to the man, adding, "It's in his back pocket" To Yami's unpleasant surprise, the ring pulled itself out from the pocket and zipped into Izune's open hand.

"Three! Thank you! Roku offered me the 'North' ring, but I wanted to be different. I guess 'North' will be yours then," she continued, turning slightly towards Raikudo as she spoke. Izune spun around and with a giggle and started skipping along.

"Roku wanted us to tell you that he's moved the meeting place to the top of a tower near the original base of operations," the man spoke, as he turned to follow. "I'm Momoro, by the way. You all can introduce yourselves once we get to it."

Takachi stared at this pair, letting a small laugh pass his cool exterior. _Roku, you've picked some interesting shinobi out for us…_

-

"Welcome, one and all. I am Roku, the heir to all that was Akatsuki, and, soon, the leader of a new world. You all have been selected by your willingness and usefulness to aid our cause. This is the first meeting of the new Akatsuki. Neo-Akatsuki. The revolutionaries who will create this new world," he opened up. Roku stood upon a curved pipe that stuck up from the tower's top. Before him, the 10 members stood, listening intently.

"The first order of business is to introduce yourselves, as we have an understanding of who we are. I, of course, have already done that much…"

"Takachi Uchiha. Heir to Itachi Uchiha's legacy," came the first, coolly stating only the basics.

"Kuro Hyuga. I've the Byakugan and near-mastery of the Gentle Fist Style. I like ramen and long walks in the forest," came the sarcastic second.

"Kosshi Kaguya… That's all you need to know," snarled the third.

"Akayuri Yamagata. Puppet mistress," came the fourth with a small bow.

"Momoro Matsumoto. The Hidden Stone Village's leading craftsman," the fifth spoke, adding with a nod to his large friend, "And this is Stonewall, my partner in the business."

"Izune Kimura! Herbalist, gardener, florist, and occasional psychic," cheered the seventh with a spin.

"Mizu Namikawa. The Shark of the Water Countries. The Blue Moccasin. Tsunami! Assassin of the Mizukage, owner of 5 of the 8 Swords of the Seven Mist Shinobi! Wanted in every country!" exclaimed the eighth, tapping each of his headbands, the Waterfall on his head, the Mist around his neck, and the Rain around his waist.

"Yami. New owner of the lair of Orochimaru," the ninth spoked, muffled slightly by his mask.

"Raikudo. In need of a ring…" finished the tenth, looking up to Roku.

Roku reached into his pocket and tossed the final ring to Raikudo, who reached out to catch it. For the first time, his forearms, normally hidden in his cloak, were revealed to be in gauntlets with attachments that hid blades. He slipped the ring on the appropriate finger.

"Very nice. Now that we have some basic understanding, we'll need to partner up… however, there is an odd number of us…" Roku began again.

"Roku, if I may, I wish to operate alone, mostly since I will be researching a way to resurrect an old member," Yami spoke up.

"Which one?"

"Hidan. His head is in the lair, and I have already theorized a way to do it."

"Very interesting… his immortality was an asset to the old Akatsuki… Very well, you may work alone. As for the rest of you, begin to pair," Roku continued, looking to Momoro and Stonewall and quickly adding, "So that each pair has a greater knowledge of the terrain, I don't want any two people from the same village pairing up."

_Damn! _Momoro thought, but quickly, Izune grabbed him by the wrist again and tugged, "I'll be your partner, Momo."

"It's Momoro…"

With a smile, she answered, "I know."

Kuro and Takachi exchanged looks, "Doesn't look like we'll be able to work together on this one…"

Takachi shrugged, "Roku's right though…"

"Hey kid!"

The two looked over at Tsunami, who called at them. "With the Byakugan. Looking at the rest of these people, I'm not sure I like what I'm seeing. I've heard stories of the power of the Byakugan though, and even more about the advantages of Gentle Fist. Come with me."

Kuro raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "Very well…"

Takachi looked at the remaining people he knew. _Jinzu's a reliable friend, and he said Akayuri was a freak… So she's out… Then there's Yami, but he's working alone… Raikudo is definitely out… So… My choice is obvious._

At the same time:

"Takachi."

"Roku."

The two exchanged looks and nodded.

Akayuri watched Takachi and let out a little sigh. _Figures… he's just like the rest of them, I bet… _She clutched her left arm in her right, pulling the single right sleeve over her glove-hidden hand more.

She jumped as a hand rested on her shoulder. She looked back and saw the gauntleted hand of Raikudo, a small smile on his lips, "Will you be my partner?"

She looked up at him and returned a smile, nodding quietly.

Kosshi looked over to Stonewall, who had made no movement yet. The former called, "You're pretty quiet aren't you?" to which Stonewall gave no response but a nod. Kosshi let out a small laugh; "We'll get along well then."

Roku cleared his throat as the last two moved together. He announced, "There are only two more orders of business to attend to. The first is the collection of the Bijuu, the most dangerous part of the Akatsuki's role. So far, we only know that the One Tail's Jinchuuriki is the Kazekage, and the Nine Tail's is the Hokage. It is also apparent that the Bijuu becomes more dangerous as you get closer to the Nine Tails, in numeric order. Yami and I will not claim a Bijuu, as we will be running other orders of business. So the decision is amongst yourselves. Takachi has already expressed his interest in the Nine Tails."

_I must make myself useful… I must prove that I'm not a freak… _Akayuri piped up, "I wish to capture the Eight Tails."

Takachi looked her way and laughed a small, light laugh. Akayuri bit at the inside of her lip, but Roku nodded, "Very well then. Who else?"

"The greatest part of being a Rogue Ninja is the thrill… Leave the Seven Tailed Beast to me!" called out Tsunami as he lit a cigarette.

"Hmmm… I'd like the Three Tailed Beast!" Izune chirped.

"I've met the Kazekage once or twice before… I know the layout of Sand Village fairly well… I can go after the One Tail," Momoro pondered.

Everyone else stayed silent. Roku crossed his legs and started calling at random, "Kuro, the Two Tails, Stonewall, the Four Tails, Raikudo, the Five Tails, Kosshi, the Six Tails. Any arguments?" Silence.

"Then our last order of business is to coordinate our attacks. As most of you have just met, you will now be dismissed on the expectation that you and your partner will go to a remote area and train together in such a way that forms a powerful team combination, and strong individual strategies. In two days, Momoro and Stonewall, I will show you where to begin construction of the sealing statue, the King of Hell. That is all. Go about your business now."

With that, ten blurs scattered in pairs. Yami, the remaining shinobi, looked around quietly.

He threw his head back and laughed a dark, maniacal laugh. _All according to plan._

**Next Chapter: The Big 5**


	13. Chapter 13: The Big 5

**Chapter 13: The Big 5**

"I'm glad you all could make it here on such short notice."

"Of course… I owe you one…"

"I believe the death of my predecessor and this current problem may be interrelated, so this is of interest to me."

"My village was attacked by them. Construction has come to a screeching hault. I had to come."

"Same here. I found the bodies of two Jounin guards right outside of the Village."

On that same night, the five leaders of the greatest shinobi countries in the land had come together in the Hidden Leaf Village to meet. Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage, ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair. He wore an orange coat, similar to the one Minato Namikaze had worn as Hokage.

Beside him, Gaara, the Kazekage, rose from his seat. He seemed to be the wildest at the table, with his messy red hair and dark blue eyes, showing lack of sleep. He brushed the front of his red coat as he spoke quietly, "So, they're really back?"

Another man spoke up, "Before we get into that, I would like to address the assassination of my predecessor…" Oshitaki Obata, the recently appointed Mizukage, shook his black hair back, slouched back in his seat. He was clearly the youngest at the table, just in his twenties. He looked around before speaking again, "I believe that the assassin was one of the five living people who still hold connections to the Mist Seven."

Nito Ohba, the Tsuchikage, growled in a low pitch. He was a large, gruff man in his mid thirties, with scars that lined his face and an eye patch over one eye. He objected, "Since when is your village more important than mine? There are almost ten dead or missing from my village, and all of them in the construction industry! The economy for my village, and all villages who are employing my village's construction workers, will crash!"

The fifth man present was Marik Tsubasa, the Raikage. He was the oldest present, over fifty years old. His hair was pure gray, and his piercing, electric blue eyes looked to each other Kage, remaining silent.

Naruto slammed his fist on the table, "This bickering will not get us anywhere! There are many strange things happening right now, but I believe we all agree that the most pressing is the return of the Akatsuki."

Gaara nodded, "If they are back, then we'll need to take countermeasures immediately."

Oshitaki let out a small laugh, "That's your opinion, since you two are Jinchuuriki."

Nobody backed Oshitaki up, though. Oshitaki looked around at their silence and cursed himself, "Well, what do you propose we do about it?"

The Kazekage walked away from the table, looking out the window, "Perhaps a team formed with 3 Jounin from each of these five villages… A sort of task force, like ANBU, but strictly for the search and destruction of Akatsuki."

Naruto looked over at Gaara and nodded, "He's onto something there. Konoha had a team like that when Akatsuki first attacked…" Naruto stopped short as he recalled some of the things this team was faced with, including the death of Asuma Sarutobi Sr.

Nito bellowed, "And how can we trust that shinobi from your village or from any of the other villages won't start eliminating other team members from the other villages?"

Marik cleared his throat and spoke for the first time, "Our other choice is to wait for Akatsuki to show up at our village searching for a Jinchuuriki, tearing our village apart to do so. Which sounds better?"

Oshitaki jumped up, "But this Akatsuki was strong enough to tear up a bar filled with grown men in the Stone Village and to kill two Jounin guards in the Cloud Village without leaving any real trace. We might be sending these men and women to their deaths!"

Gaara turned around, fast, a glare forming, "Then what do you suggest? I have no intent on turning a blind eye and waiting for death to come and steal me away."

Oshitaki fell silent, falling back into his chair.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, "We'll just warn the Jounin selected for this team of the danger. Also, do not include a Jinchuuriki in the selection of members. Then the team will become a target and be eliminated without a doubt…"

The four at the table exchanged silent glances as Gaara returned to his seat. The silence hung over the room for what seemed like an eternity until Oshitaki spoke up again, "May I address the death of the former Mizukage now?"

Each head, though somewhat reluctantly, nodded. The new Mizukage rose from his seat and began to pace as he spoke, "Well, the five living people who held connections to the Mist Seven are Ranmaru, a man who owns a curry shop and used to work under Raiga Kurosuki; Mizu Namikawa, better known as Tsunami, a Rogue ninja who trained to become one of these swordsmen; Suigetsu Hozuki, the ninja who killed Kisame Hoshigaki and claimed two of the eight swords, giving them, begrudgingly, to the Mizukage; Roshu Saito, the last living member of the Seven Swordsmen, who is believed to still carry his sword, Shihonto, the Dead Sword; and Zi Nakita, a woman who trained under Saito."

Naruto shook his head, "I've met Ranmaru before…I doubt his involvement in this assassination. So we only really have four suspects…"

Nito bellowed again, "Nobody's seen Roshu Saito in over a decade, and this Zi girl is likely to follow him. Trying to catch Tsunami is like trying to catch smoke, and I've never even heard of Suigetsu! What are we supposed to do about it?"

Naruto shook his head yet again, "We'll come to some sort of conclusion about all this… For now though, all we can do is investigate to the best of our ability. You may retire to your rooms tonight and head back to your villages tomorrow. Send the three shinobi you select for the anti-Akatsuki team to the Hidden Leaf when you return to you're back in your home villages."

He looked out the window and lowered his head. Gaara stepped up behind him, "It is probably best that we choose successors, you and I."

Naruto shook his head, "I was afraid this day might come. A part of me regrets not having a kid to pass the name of Hokage off to. I know who'll succeed me though… And I owe him a visit." With that, Naruto turned and left.

-

**Next Chapter: The Night**


	14. Chapter 14: The Night

**Chapter 14- The Night**

_(Please, bear with me. There's going to be a lot of jumping around in this chapter, since there are six areas I need to focus on at once. My usual time/place transition will appear throughout this chapter, the – mark and then the next time/place)_

Naruto Uzumaki walked the streets of his village alone. The grasshopper chirping and the shuffling of his shoes against the path were the only noise in the air as he went. The cool night air blew his hair back and his coat open slightly. For an endless moment he walked, until reaching another path that ran between white walls.

On both of those white walls was painted the Uchiha Fan.

-

Kosshi Kaguya stood atop a cliff at the edge of the Hidden Rain Village. He did not wear his cloak, and bones in his chest and arms poked through his skin, sliding around and morphing. He tested the capabilities of his jutsu in silence as he recovered. _So it appears I cannot recreate my skull, nor create a clone out of bones… But the sheer extent of my ability…to be able to indefinitely extend my reach…_

Kosshi held his hand out, looking at one of his fingers, bent out of place. _And the sheer power that Stonewall has… I had him attack me to test it, and he was actually capable of breaking my finger with a punch… If I were a normal man, the bones in my hand would have been reduced to dust…_Kosshi looked over his shoulder.

Stonewall sat upon a great rock, wiping sweat from his brow. He stared up at the night sky in silence. Kosshi looked back to his hand and spoke out loud, "You combine your already strong taijutsu with the ability to accurate focus your chakra into your fist, don't you?"

Stonewall gave no other response than a nod. Kosshi flexed his hand, the broken finger mending itself within seconds. The wild haired man turned around completely to face Stonewall, "Let us continue our training for a little while longer then, shall we?"

-

"Roku, why did you think to partner with me? Why not Kuro, or someone else?" Takachi asked as he took off his shirt, soaked.

Roku dusted the ash off his cloak and responded simply, "Out of all the shinobi I have witnessed in battle, you appeared to be the strongest. And now, at this point, you are probably stronger than me." Roku sat down on a rock and added, "You are also the most organized.

The two were in a forest on the edge of the Hidden Rain Village. Takachi tilted his head, "But I had trouble doing Lightning Style Jutsu when I was first taught how to perform jutsu, and I had the Sharingan… I don't know if I'll be able to really copy your Water Style."

Roku responded quietly, "That's because you were young, and probably could only use the first stage of the Sharingan, so copying and performing an elemental jutsu outside of your elemental affinity would be naturally difficult. Try to use the Water Torrent jutsu."

Takachi nodded and rose to his feet. He activated his Sharingan, which was in it's third stage now. The hand signs he saw Roku perform to use the Water Torrent jutsu flashed before his eyes in his memory and he performed them move for move. Soon, dew from the grass started accumulating and beads of water broke free from under the ground, until a dense, spiraling torrent of water levitated in the air. Takachi made the final hand motion, directing the torrent towards a tree. It collided full force, drilling into it slightly. Takachi closed his eye, laughing a little

"Wind Style Jutsu is vulnerable to Fire Style Jutsu, and Lightning Style Jutsu is …" Roku began.

Takachi cut him off, "I won't need any advantages like that to defeat Naruto, nor will I for Sasuke."

"What about the Sixth Hokage?"

"Already dead," Takachi answered with a smile. Takachi opened his eyes. The Mangekyou pattern took place of his regular Sharingan, as a sinister laugh formed in Takachi's throat.

-

"Strike me with the Gentle Fist."

Kuro's eyes shot open, "You want me to do what?" The two stood on the cliff near the Rain Village, not too far from Stonewall and Kosshi

Tsunami repeated angrily, "Strike me with your jutsu, boy!"

Kuro tilted his head, "But what will you gain from having chakra points blocked?"

Tsunami groaned, angrily pulling Sharkskin from his back and slamming the wrapped blade into the ground. "Boy, I've heard of the things the Gentle fist can do! Don't be stupid with me! As well as blocking chakra points, it can open them and increase the flow of chakra. I want you to open a few points on me even more then they already are!"

Kuro's eyebrows lowered, getting irritated with the infamous Rogue, who simply stood with his arms spread, waiting. The Hyuga man stepped up to Tsunami and delivered four strikes, one to each arm and two into his chest. Tsunami coughed, but felt the increase in chakra.

The Waterfall shinobi shoved the Leaf shinobi back. Kuro fell back, staring wild-eyed up at Tsunami, who had slid his thumb along the edge of the one of the Lightning Rods. Dropping it, he started to perform hand signs until finally slamming his hand onto the ground. Kuro gaped in horror as, from the smoke, a huge, scaly creature emerged.

On it's back stood Tsunami, who broke out in his high-pitched, maniacal laugh, "Yes, this is magnificent. I still have a lot of chakra, even after this summon"

-

"I'm going to help you build the statue."

Momoro rubbed his eyes as Izune spoke. The two had done no real training. Instead, they had spent their time talking alongside a river. Momoro responded, "What can you contribute? What do you know about crafting and construction?"

"Everything you know, silly. Psychic!" she answered, much to Momoro's displeasure.

"Why must you constantly read my mind? I like to keep things in there personal…"

"You have such interesting thoughts though!" Izune continued, running her fingers through her hair. "Also, I bet you don't know too much about sealing, do you?"

Momoro gradually shook his head, to which Izune answered with, "I can help you with that process of it. And it'll be quicker for the three of us to work on it, rather than just two. Maybe then, we can plan how we're going to get out of this mess."

Momoro frowned, "But Kosshi is Stonewall's partner now. Which means Kosshi will probably witness the production of the statue, and that won't give us much opportunity to speak in private."

Izune still wore a smile, "I guess we're stuck then? It won't be so bad. I promise you you'll make it out of this alive."

Momoro bit his lip, "How do you know? You can see that far ahead into the future?"

Izune nodded slightly, "When I focus on a person, their future is revealed to me. I have to focus for hours to see what they'll be in years."

Momoro blushed again, "So you've been focused on me for several hours?"

Izune nodded, tilting her head, her smile slipping away slightly, becoming shy, "Ever since we met, actually."

-

Raikudo agilely wove between Kiga and two of Akayuri's other puppets. They stood atop a building, practicing with one another. Akayuri's fourth puppet sat in a corner, unused.

Akayuri laughed a little as she moved her fingers and arms all about, trying to catch Raikudo, "How did you get to be so fast?"

In a blur, Raikudo appeared infront of Akayuri, causing her to jump back. With a small smile, he lifted his arms and quietly asked, "Hold out your hands?"

She cautiously did so, and Raikudo unstrapped his gauntlets, taking them off and holding them above her hands, "I use weights. I used to wear ones like these on my legs as well, but I left them behind in the village. These weights in my gauntlets are more to add force to my attacks. Ready?"

Akayuri nodded, and Raikudo placed the gauntlets in her hands. Akayuri squeaked as she struggled to keep upright as she held the gauntlets…

And they slid out of her right hand as her left fell off, being pulled out of it's puppet joint. Raikudo tried to jump and yelped as the gauntlets fell on his foot. Akayuri quickly bent over to retrieve her arm, but could not move it out from under the heavy gauntlet. She felt tears starting to well up in her eyes as Raikudo kneeled down, picking his gauntlets up off her arm. She tried to snatch it away, but Raikudo had it first.

"I'm so sorry… I didn't… Oh…" Raikudo sighed in relief as he pulled Akayuri's glove off the disembodied hand, seeing it was only a puppet part.

Akayuri snatched it away as Raikudo's grip eased, biting at her lip, "I'm not all like that… I'm still human… I…"

Raikudo gripped her shoulder, and for the second time since they met, Akayuri looked up into his eyes, expecting disgust. She found concern instead.

"I understand… You're still a woman, braver than most… You don't have to worry about any of that… Can I hear about what happened to you though?"

Akayuri nodded as she rolled down her long stockings. She watched Raikudo's face as she did, still waiting for the disgust to appear, but his hand reached forward instead and ran along her right leg, feeling at the point where her flesh leg ended and the puppet part began. Nothing but concern appeared on his face.

Gradually, she built up her courage and began her story.

-

"We don't meet like this very often, Lord Hokage."

"Really, Sasuke. It's Naruto. You don't have to give me that 'Lord' crap everyone else does."

They sat together in the revived home of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke Uchiha, the re-founder of the clan, and Naruto Uzumaki, the Hokage. At each corner of the room and on the table between them sat a candle, the only light inside.

"Is Sakura still awake?" Naruto asked.

"No. She went to bed after Miroku, Yumi, and Sayaka had all gone." Sasuke responded, sipping a bit of his tea. He wore an outfit similar to the one he wore 25 years earlier as he fought against the original Akatsuki, a loose white top and black pants. The Uchiha fan was on the back of the top though.

"Ah. How are your children, anyway?"

"Sayaka celebrated her 6th birthday a few weeks ago. We can't wait to get her into ninja academy. Yumi, our 12-year-old daughter, is the top of her class, and should become a genin soon. And Miroku, our 15-year-old son has recently joined ANBU. Though I'm sure you've come to address the child that isn't actually mine?" Sasuke finished.

"Indeed I have… I'm afraid Takachi knows the truth now. And the rumors appear to be true as well. There's a new Akatsuki forming," Naruto said, fidgeting with his headband.

"Damn… So you're saying Takachi joined?"

Naruto nodded. Sasuke clenched his fist, "He'll be nothing like Itachi, that much I'm sure of… Itachi actually tried to protect me… and all the boy really knows is that his real father is dead, thanks to me… He's going to come after me."

Naruto cursed silently, "I hadn't thought of it that way… I came, primarily, to tell you that if the Akatsuki manages to kill me, you are to succeed me as the Hokage… but it appears that you might die as well…"

"So whose the next person on the list after me?" Sasuke asked.

"The strongest Jounin in the village are Obito Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi Jr., Kiyomi Aburame, and Brock Lee. Three of them will be selected to be in the Anti-Akatsuki task force. The remaining one should be the one to succeed you, incase we both die."

"Let's take tonight to think on it, and meet again tomorrow morning," Sasuke finished, rising up. "I'm starting to feel tired… Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Sasuke…"

**Next Chapter: Selection**


	15. Chapter 15: Selection

**Chatper 15: Selection**

The morning light beamed in on the office of Naruto Uzumaki. He sat at his desk writing and signing papers, until a call reached his ears; "Lord Hokage! I have an urgent matter to discuss with you!"

Kiba Inuzuka had fallen backwards through the door to the Hokage's office as Shino Aburame pushed past. Shino's face was mostly hidden, beneath hood, collar, and sunglasses. On his back was a gourd, and escaping from the opening of the gourd were many insects, anxiously scrapping around.

Naruto rose from his chair to meet Shino, "What is the matter?"

Kiba had finally got back on his feet as the distressed Shino took Naruto by the shoulders, "My daughter has been assassinated."

Naruto's eyes shot open. _Kiyomi Aburame… dead… after that talk with Sasuke… no, it must be coincidence… but if it isn't…_

"Kiba, send a messenger to the house of Anko Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, and Rock Lee. I need for every member of those families to report to my office immediately," Naruto began to tap his fingers on his desk as his thoughts raced. _Could we have been overheard? Is this the work of the Akatsuki?_

"What about my daughter?" Shino began to shake Naruto, and the Hokage smacked the Aburame clan leader's hands away.

"Get a hold of yourself! Kiba!" the Hokage called out as Kiba started to leave. "I want you to send Ino Nara and Hanabi Sarutobi to the house of Aburame to begin investigating the body. I want Sakura Uchiha to come to my office as well." Sakura, Ino, and Hanabi were all medical shinobi at this time.

Naruto sat back in his chair and waited for the parties to show.

-

The door burst open as Rock Lee, and his adopted son, Brock, flew in, crying out, "Dynamic Entry!" as they did. Everyone else gave them disapproving looks. Most of the others had already arrived.

Naruto looked around. Anko and Obito were not there yet. He looked over to Kurenai Yuhi, in her red robe and wrappings, a concerned look on her face. Asuma Sarutobi Jr. shook back his long, black hair. Under his red eyes were also signs of recent conflict, and he still gripped the trench knives he inherited from his father. Sakura Uchiha held her hands over Asuma's arms, which carried a few puncture marks on each arm. The medical ninja was applying her jutsu to the wounded shinobi.

Brock Lee, who supported the same bowl hair cut and eyebrows as his adoptive father, broke the silence, "What happened to you, Asuma?"

"I was attacked by something in my sleep," Asuma began. "I felt a stabbing pain in my arms, and I woke up to fight back my assailant… but he or she disappeared before I could see or do anything…"

"His wound's wouldn't stop bleeding on their own," Kurenai continued. "I managed to bandage him up well enough to stop it. This morning, we took of the bandages to check his wounds and they started bleeding again."

Sakura dropped her hands to her sides. She looked very youthful for her age, in a soft pink robe. She nodded, "The wounds are closed now, though you should probably take it easy on…"

The door burst open again. Obito Hatake rushed in, alone.

"I was on a mission last night, and I came home to find my mother dead! What the hell is going on?"

Naruto bit his lip. _This is no coincidence… _"Sakura, please go to the house of Anko Hatake and examine the body…" With a nod, Sakura turned to leave, but Obito ran forward, grabbing Naruto by the collar of his coat.

"This is bullshit! You're supposed to protect this village! What the hell were you doing last night?!"

Naruto lowered his head, "Obito Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi Jr., and Brock Lee. I have selected you to be members of an anti-Akatsuki team. I spoke of this last night to someone, and I'm afraid I was overheard. Kiyomi Aburame was also considered as a member of this team, but she was killed last night… We will resolve this attack… but for now, I must ask the three of you to prepare to journey the world on a mission to put an end to the new Akatsuki, before it gains too much power."

The door opened again, one final time. Ino Nara walked in first, in her purple dress. Her long blonde hair flowed behind her. Hanabi Sarutobi followed, her white robes flowing with her movement. Her pale eyes seemed to stare through the Hokage. Shortly behind them was Kiba and his large friend, the dog Akamaru, who made no noise.

Kiba began, "In addition to what I was told to do, I sent shinobi to check on the status of the other Kage who were to leave the village this morning," Naruto's heart stopped. _I almost forgot!_ But Kiba continued, "They all made it out of the village alive. We should get word from them within a week."

"We examined the body of Kiyomi Aburame, and the cause of death appears to be blood lost," Ino began. "Most interestingly, it appears the wounds came from an animal bite, rather than a weapon or jutsu wound. From what we gather, we have reason to believe that the animal, or animals, as there were two bite marks on the neck, were reptiles or a single reptile."

Naruto's heart sank. _Reptile…_

**Next Chapter: Hologram**


	16. Chapter 16: Hologram

**Chapter 16: Hologram**

The early beams of light shone down on the Hidden Rain Village as well. The usual bustle began to spawn, with a single man watched everything from the top of the tallest tower in the village. In his eyes, Roku was able to see five other scenes. In one scene, he was walking the streets, passing by the markets. In another, he was in a tavern, lifting a mug to his lips. He could also see the original base of operations. In the last two scenes, he saw a mountainous cliff lined with trees, and a deep, dark cave. _This is well… I will watch over the village with two bodies, watch the temporary headquarters with another, and focus the other two on finding a suitable location to construct the King of Hell…_

In the headquarters, the man standing guard, with large auburn Mohawk and numerous piercing, picked up a piece of paper detailing two special jutsus. He picked it up to read, and as he did, so did Roku, atop the tower.

Roku mused out loud, "Astral Projection jutsu… and this Shape Shift jutsu… It seems there are a few important details that I failed to mention to the others… but with the first jutsu…"

Roku performed the hand signs that he saw with the eyes of the man at the headquarters.

-

Yami had not yet left the Hidden Rain Village. In a tavern he sat, a straw poking out of the corner of his mask, into the mug he held in his gloved hand. The tavern had only a few people in it, as morning had just come. Most of the people who were in the tavern were passed out from the previous night of activity. One, however, caught Yami's attention. He had an auburn ponytail, and many piercings on his face. Yami immediately realized it was Roku, as he spotted the Rin'negan eyes watching him. _So this is the ability… The Eyes of Reincarnation… Just how many bodies can you control at once, Roku? _

An odd buzzing noise emitted from the air. Yami turned to look at the chair across from him, and sure enough, Roku was sitting there… or so it seemed. A shadowy figure, also with the Rin'negan, filled the seat, but the body was obviously not real, as it flickered and buzzed.

In a deep, distorted voice, he spoke, "Yami, I'm calling all Akatsuki to meet a top the tower from last night. There is important information that I need to share. I expect you to be here in half an hour's time."

-

Half an hour passed. Roku had contacted Yami first, and each pairing, and they gradually arrived to the top, with a sleep-deprived Kuro and a relaxed Tsunami rejoining last. Roku nodded in acknowledgement and performed the hand signs yet again, closing his eyes as he did. This time, the shadowy figured appeared right behind the group, buzzing loudly.

The distorted shadow spoke up, "Remember this jutsu. While you all travel the world, we will not be able to meet in person very often. I have a… clone of sorts at the original headquarters, nearby here. Most of you have already been inside, so you know where it is. In the case that you capture a Bijuu, you will contact me by using this jutsu and focusing on that location. At that point, I will contact all of you, and you will then use this jutsu again, focusing on the site of the sealing statue, which we will begin construction on tomorrow. The exception to this is for the pair that captures the Bijuu. That pair will have to physically be present at the sealing site because they need to bring the body."

The shadowy figure disappeared, and the real Roku's eyes opened. He continued, "Furthermore, there is a second jutsu that has caught my interest. The sealing process requires ten of us to be at it's best. Therefore, we will be unable to defend ourselves in the event of an attack. In that event, I can take a percentage of your chakra and transform an extra shinobi, perhaps one we abduct, giving it that percentage of your chakra. That clone will be able to perform most of your own techniques, and thus, be able to guard over us. The exceptions to the techniques that can be copied by the Shape Shifted clones include all Doujutsus and special bloodlines."

Roku cleared his throat, looking around, "Be well rested for tomorrow, Momoro, Stonewall, Izune, and Kosshi. You will begin construction of the King of Hell statue tomorrow. Yami, you may feel free to return to the Hidden Sound Village to research now. The rest of you may begin your searches for the Bijuus you have been assigned. Do not attack, however, until I contact you again." Roku took a quick glance around, noticing only Kosshi wearing the Neo-Akatsuki cloak. He added, "As for all of your, I request that you dawn your uniforms now. You're no longer mere shinobi."

-

Naruto ran like he had never run before. Through the village he ran, dodging between pedestrians and carts in the streets. _It can't be… I won't believe it…But I have to check…_

Quickly, the Hokage arrived to the house of Uchiha. He broke right through the door to find Sasuke in his throne, which bore a Sharingan pattern on it's high back. Sasuke looked up and frowned, "I've heard of the murder attempts, but I didn't detect anything unusual here last night…"

"Sasuke, the culprits are believed to be reptiles," Naruto called out, his thoughts racing. "You and Anko are the only ones in the village capable of summoning reptiles, snakes to be exact. Snakes are the most likely reptile to inflict deadly wounds like that, and this attack was too organized and too coincidental to be random incidents."

"Are you saying you suspect me?" Sasuke called out angrily, rising from his throne.

"Twenty-five years ago, when I found you again, you told me the story Madara told you about the Uchiha clan. I just want to make sure you aren't thinking the way Madara did…"

"Naruto… I am nothing like Madara," Sasuke answered calmly. "And furthermore…"

It suddenly hit Naruto. _If someone infiltrated the house of Uchiha without Sasuke, Sakura, or me so much as noticing…_and he spoke his thoughts, "If someone infiltrated your home… Have you checked to make sure everything is safe?"

Sasuke shook his head, biting his thumb and smearing it on his palm. After the appropriate hand signs, he slammed his palm into the ground to perform summoning jutsu…

Nothing appeared.

Sasuke fell back into his throne, his mouth gaping. The Hokage ran forward and grabbed him, "Sasuke, what's wrong!?"

"I just tried to summon the snakes that guard the vault…" the Uchiha head began. Naruto's blinked in disbelief as his friend continued, "The summoning failed… so the snakes… must be dead…"

"Then the vault…!"

Both men got up and ran down the hall. It wasn't long before they came before a pure white wall, marble, different from the pale brown wood that the rest of the house was made of. Sasuke smeared the blood on his thumb in the shape of the Uchiha fan on the marble. In an instant, the marble dematerialized, and the two began to descend the stairs behind the marble.

Down the winding path they went, in silence. Sasuke began to shake a bit, "It's not supposed to be this silent… Snakes are supposed to hiss as soon as you get on the stairs…"

They made it to the bottom of the stairs, where they gaped in horror at the scene. A pile of almost a dozen snakes lay before them, some with bloody mouths. Behind them sat a small vault, wide open. But inside the vault…

Nothing.

"They've been stolen…" Sasuke fell to his knees as Naruto moved forward, examining the snakes.

"The look in their eyes is very distant. They seem to have died under some genjutsu…" Naruto started to chew on the inside of his lip. _This is our greatest fear… the darkest secrets of the Uchiha clan now lie in the hands of someone… Most likely, someone within the Akatsuki… and if we die, we no longer have someone to readily succeed us… This was too well organized… We were fooled too easily…_

**Next Chapter: One Week Later**


	17. Chapter 17: One Week Later

**Chapter 17: One Week Later**

"Alright then. Construction is nearly complete."

Momoro wiped sweat from his brow as he spoke, his cloak and shirt piled behind him. In front of him sat the giant head of the King of Hell. Only one arm was raised up in front of it. Stonewall, also topless, sweat dripping down his muscular arms, carried the other arm, moving it to it's appropriate place in front of the King. Momoro clasped his hands together, and the giant, metal handcuffs rose from the ground. With a grunt from the craftsman, the cuffs moved through the air, clasping the two hands together.

Izune pounced on Momoro's back, nuzzling affectionately at the side of his head. Kosshi verbalized his disgust and annoyance, and laid back. Momoro took a quick look over to make sure Kosshi wasn't paying attention.

"Your plan is working better then I expected," Momoro whispered to Izune. "I didn't think he'd be bothered enough to stop watching me…"

"Of course my plan worked," she responded quietly. "Psychic. Hello? Anyway, you have to capture the One-Tailed Beast, and I have to capture the Three-Tails. So maybe after we've caught them, we'll be able to get out?"

"I don't know. That still means I have to defeat Gaara, the Kazekage. They say that he was the original Jinchuuriki for the One-Tailed Beast, and that he survived the sealing process. When the One-Tailed Beast broke free from the original King of Hell statue, it returned to the Sand Village, where Gaara ordered it to be sealed in himself again. What are our numbers?"

The young psychic answered under her breath, "When we met with Roku again, I tried to enter his thoughts, but he seems to have found a way to block me out. The same thing with Yami. Also, Takachi set up a genjutsu trap, and there seems to be something blocking Raikudo's thoughts as well. There is some uncertainty in the mind of Kosshi, but everyone else is definitely supporting the Akatsuki, so for now, we can only trust ourselves and Stonewall."

"As I figured…" Momoro cursed silently. In his normal tone, he called out, "That'll wrap it up then! I'm contacting the Leader now." Izune let go and stepped back as Momoro performed the jutsu.

-

In the Hidden Rain Village, a gentle rain poured. The God of the village was testing his newfound jutsu, the same that the father of God used to watch over the village. Roku sat upon the top tower, his hair slicked back due to the rain. Although Roku had awoken with a set of piercings already in his face, and that his father had a decorated face with numerous piercings, he had come to the decision that he would not bear the same extent of decoration. He now only had a stud in his lip and one on each ear. The other piercings that no longer held a stud or ring were left to close.

The thoughts that ran through the head of the Akatsuki leader scattered as a shadowy figure appeared before him. A pair of bright blue, tired eyes peered out from the figure. A gentle but distorted voice spoke, "It's done. We will need every member to appear at the site of the statue now to synchronize our chakra with the statue so that we may seal with it."

Roku nodded and performed the hand signs for the Hologram jutsu just as Momoro's faded.

-

Momoro had pulled his shirt back on, polishing his headband as he waited. It had been only a few minutes since he had made contact with Roku, but almost everyone was in the cave now, or at least the shadowy hologram form of them were. Kosshi had already taken his place on the right pinky of the statue's mighty hands, impatiently tapping on the fingernail with a bone projecting from his palm.

Finally, Roku and Takachi appeared in shadowy form. Without hesitation, Roku announced, "Stonewall, stand outside of the cave and keep a look out. Everyone else, take your place on the appropriate finger of the hands of the King of Hell. I will perform the hand signs first, and next, Tsunami, along down the hands until Akayuri finishes. At that point, we will all have the ability to use the statue to seal with."

Izune piped up, "I've taken the liberty to write a scroll of summoning for the statue." She pulled out a simple scroll, opening it up and showing the writing to each of the shadowy figures and the few shinobi physically present. "Take a minute to copy this scroll on a blank scroll in your possessions so that we may summon it where we need it."

Roku's shadow blinked, his distorted voice exclaiming, "Excellent work, Izune." All the shadows disappeared for a moment. Within a few minutes though, they all reappeared.

At long last, they all leapt forward. The shadows of Roku, Tsunami, Kuro, Takachi, and Yami took their places on the right hand. Momoro, the shadow of Raikudo, Izune, and the shadow of Akayuri took their places on the left, joining the annoyed Kosshi. One by one, they each performed the jutsu, the King of Hell's stone eyelids rustling restlessly as they did.

"All is well," spoke the shadow of Roku. "We may begin our mission now…"

Nobody detected it, though. A yellow orb that slightly protruded from the cave wall, facing the King of Hell statue, and the almost silent laugh. "Well, well, well… it seems the backup Akatsuki has made its move," spoke a gentle voice.

A slightly rougher one, though similar, responded, "Indeed. This will be interesting to watch…"

-

Naruto Uzumaki sat in the chair in his office. He looked over the papers that he had on his desk. Profiles of several shinobi. Before him was a group of shinobi, the ones whose profiles he was looking over. All the members of the team that would become the anti-Akatsuki team were assembled here.

He read the ones from the Leaf Village out loud, "From our village, Jounin Obito Hatake, Jounin Asuma Sarutobi Jr. and Jounin sensei Brock Lee, Jounin sensei. Brock, your students will be taught by Shikamaru Nara while you are away from the village. Understood?"

With a quick nod from Brock, Naruto began to announce the others, "From the Hidden Sand Village, we have ANBU member Jinzu Hayabasa, former ANBU captain Shikijo Miyolin, and Jounin Sunamaru Zirone." The three Sand shinobi placed themselves beside the three Leaf. Jinzu shook his red bangs back, his piercing left eye staring at the Hokage. On his other eye, he now wore a black scope. Shikijo was a tall, rough man, with a number of weapons strapped to his sides and back. Beside them crouched the very pale Sunamaru, who wore a white veil over his eyes.

Naruto looked to each one before he continued his announcement, "From the Hidden Stone Village, we have ANBU captain Azami Ohba, Jounin Naomi Yamada, and craftsman Ryoku Senjo." The three Stone shinobi moved beside the Sand. Azami wore her ANBU mask, in the form of a bird. Her long black ponytail fell down the back of her white ANBU uniform. Naomi stood besides her, running her fingers through her sandy, chaotic hair. Her short, brown jacket fell over her fitting black outfit. Ryoku started to fuss with his headband, pushing his spiky black hair up slightly. He wore a long, black coat and loose, earthly toned clothing.

Naruto shuffled through his paper work as he announced the next village, "From the Hidden Cloud Village, we have ANBU member Miroku Eto, Jounin Makoto Tsbuasa, and Jounin Hajime Kamio." The three Cloud shinobi took their place in the line up. Miroku also wore an ANBU uniform, but no mask. His young, purple eyes glanced from person to person. Makoto shook back her light blonde hair. The daughter of the Raikage wore a snug, royal blue dress, somewhat revealing. Her headband was wrapped around her waist, rather than on her head, making her further noticeable in the crowd. Hajime's face was mostly wrapped, only his mouth and nose visible. His wild black hair stuck out in every direction.

Naruto put down the papers as he announced the last members of the team, "From the Hidden Wave Village, we have Jounins Zi Nakita, Suigetsu Hozuki, and Toru Shigi."

Zi shook back her light green, shoulder length hair. She confirmed her innocence with the Mizukage a few days earlier, along with her sensei's, Roshu Saito, and requested to be in the party to protect her sensei's interests. Suigetsu, of course, wished to reclaim the Sharkskin and Guillotine swords – he made that no secret. He wore a fitting purple and white outfit over his pale body, and carried many bottles of water. Toru was an interesting looking character, whom appeared more like a sage than a shinobi. He carried a staff with a large knot at the end, and wore pale blue robes.

Naruto clasped his hands together, "Based on your jutsu and skill levels, I believe the teams should be settled as thus; Jinzu, Obito, and Makoto are team 1. Suigetsu, Hajime, and Shikijo are team 2. Asuma, Naomi, and Sunamaru are team 3. Azami, Brock, and Toru are team 4. Zi, Miroku, and Ryoku are team 5. The Akatsuki travel in pairs, so the three-man team system is advisable. There are no leaders. There are no back-up teams. This is all up to you now. Please, secure the safety of the shinobi world. You may begin your travels now."

**Next Chapter: Confrontation**


	18. Chapter 18: Confrontation

**Chapter 18: Confrontation**

The occasional scattering of a stray bug or two and the irritated groans from Hidan were the only noise throughout the entire lair of Yami, formerly Orochimaru's. Yami had returned that night, carrying a scroll under his arm.

"The hell is that?" Hidan strained his neck to look.

"Blueprints." Yami threw the scroll open over a table, tacking it down with a kunai in each corner. He then moved to retrieve the head of Hidan. Hidan chortled his approval as he beheld the blueprints.

"Very, very nice. That form, combined with my current jutsu and immortality, will make me unstoppable! How long do you think it'll take you to pull together?"

"Approximately a quarter of a year, if all goes well. I presume the lair has gone undisturbed, of course?" came the slightly muffled voice of Yami.

"Hell no. Bug chattering everywhere. And while you were gone, the clean up crew came along," Hidan answered with a yawn.

"Clean up crew?"

"Yeah, you kinda killed Kabuto and left his body just laying around. That kind of gesture attracts all sorts of pests," responded the head with a snicker.

"Let's remember who saved who so many times in the past," growled an angry voice from a dark corner, across from Hidan.

"Calm yourself," came another, softer voice, in the same corner. "We owe our host an explanation."

Yami pulled his cloak open. The skeleton that wrapped itself around his body began to unfurl, slumping onto the floor. Within seconds, it rose, creaking forward. It didn't matter though. Before he knew any better, green tendrils emerged from behind Yami and wrapped around him, constricting his movement. The tendrils climbed along the length of the chain and trapped the skeleton as well. Yami strained his neck to examine the tendrils and noticed that they were actually vines.

The softer voice spoke again, "There's no need for that. We're on your side. Put it away now."

The vines drew backwards, releasing the skeleton, then the chain. Finally, they released Yami and drew further backwards. Yami spun around to behold his assailant. The man was unusual, half black, and half white. He had yellow eyes, which differed slightly from one half of his body to the other. He had spiky green hair, but strangest yet was his body. Most of it was in a black cloak, but what was visible was a large, Venus-flytrap-like structure, wrapped around the man's head and torso.

"So, Zetsu survived all these years?" Yami mused, as he took a step backwards, pulling the chain on his arm brace and retrieving the skeleton.

Zetsu's dark-half growled, "It wasn't easy, finding sustenance without being noticed. Orochimaru's lair was full of easy pickings, though. I have to thank you for our last meal." With an awkward motion, Zetsu bowed slightly.

Hidan snickered, "So tell me, how did old Kabuto taste?"

Zetsu shook his head, his light-half speaking, "Wasn't my best meal, but it'll get me by. I see you're constructing a new body for Hidan?"

Yami nodded, looking over to Hidan, "About the rumors. I was only partially right. Pein is dead, but he apparently had a son, who leads the new Akatsuki. Also, there is a Hyuga boy in the ranks, as well as the Kaguya and Uchiha we met with earlier."

Zetsu smiled slightly, his dark-half adding, "And in such a short time, it's come very far, that new Akatsuki. We never dreamed that our fool-proof back up plan would be this successful?"

The head growled, "We? You mean you were in on this?!"

Zetsu nodded, the dark-half continuing, "I was given a mission by Pein before he died. I was to watch over and protect the child he and Konan created, and the bodies of the shinobi they set aside for the child, as well as to watch the progress of Project Kosshi. The three of us were the only ones who knew about it. We even hid it from Tobi."

With a mirthful laugh, Hidan asked, "From Tobi? That doesn't seem like a really hard task, given that idiot's qualifications."

Zetsu's light-half noted, "The truth is, Tobi was the real leader of the Akatsuki. The man you knew to be Tobi was in fact Madara Uchiha, the original summoner of the Nine Tailed Fox. Tobi was just a fake guise."

"Whatever you say. What does it matter if Tobi knew or not?" Hidan asked.

The dark-half of Zetsu growled, "Madara was easily one of the most powerful shinobi at the time. Pein's purpose for Akatsuki was to bring ultimate peace, but Madara was filled with vengeance and hate. We believed that Madara would kill the Akatsuki once he had the power of the Nine Tailed Beasts, and ultimately dominate the shinobi world, and that our mission would have been for nothing. In the time that you, Hidan, and the other 5 Akatsuki who were unaware of our plans caught your Bijuu, Konan remained inactive because she was carrying Pein's child. The current leader of Akatsuki. After his birth, he was placed in a pod, fed and nourished by chakra stored up by Pein and Konan. The same was done for five other bodies who Pein selected to aid the child when his time came."

Yami stroked his mask thoughtfully, "And what of the Kaguya kid?"

The light-half continued, "At first, we were simply testing our capabilities. Kimimaro Kaguya died near the Valley of the End, where I witnessed the fight between the now-leader of the Uchiha clan, and the now-leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. History repeats itself. On orders from Pein, I collected some of the bone marrow from Kimimaro's body afterwards and returned to base, where we worked on a jutsu to produce a living clone. We had him in one of those chakra fed pods, watching him develop, but as time went on, we realized what Madara might do, so decided to set him aside to join the new leader of Akatsuki in this generation. I, myself, am not sure how successful our cloning went. We were never completely sure of the stability of the body of the clone, and I have only briefly seen the Kaguya clone outside of the pod."

"Hey, you fat bastard! How did you avoid being killed, like the rest of them?" Hidan called out.

Zetsu's dark-half hissed, "Continue to insult me and you will spend the rest of your miserable existence in my stomach. The truth is, I was killed, but I am part plant, and as such, able to regenerate, given time. I came back to conscious existence about a year after my 'death.' In another two years, my body reformed completely, and I continued to spy underground, watching and waiting. But now, I feel it is time to reveal myself."

"Well, since you are here, can I rely on you to aid me in reconstructing Hidan?" Yami asked.

Zetsu's dark-half growled, but the light-half spoke up, "Actually, looking at your blueprint, I believe I have an idea that would greatly benefit Hidan's survival rate."

Yami took off his mask and set it on the table. His face was lined with age, with wrinkles under his eyes and on the sides of his mouth. His sclera was black. Slit-like pupils sat in his yellow eyes. A Hidden Sound headband sat just above his eyes. Most intriguing was the right side of his chin and neck, severely burned. His jaw clicked and clacked as he asked, "Share with me?"

"Ew, put it back on!" the head said with a gag.

Neither seemed to hear Hidan, though, as the white hand of Zetsu reached for a pencil and began to sketch on the blueprints.

**Next Chapter – One Tail**


	19. Chapter 19: One Tail

**Chapter 19 – One Tail**

(AAT, or AA Team means Anti-Akatsuki Team)

Three, hot, miserable days passed since the official formation of the Anti-Akatsuki team. AA Team 3 had left the Leaf Village immediately after their formation, and was now at the edge of the Sand Village. The sun was beginning to set that day as the Hidden Sand shinobi of Team 3, Sunamaru Zirone, crouched down and scooped up some of the sand.

"There are no abnormalities in the sand. The Village is currently safe, but Gaara is the One Tails. We must remain here," he spoke. His eerie, monotone voice sent a slight chill up the spines of his team members. He remained crouch, seeming to peer out at the village from behind his veil.

Asuma Sarutobi Jr. sat on a large rock nearby. The red eyes of the Leaf shinobi scanned the horizon, pondering, "So the Village is currently safe. But what if the Akatsuki are already in the village, just not attacking it? And what if they take a different route then what we took? Won't they slip right in?"

Sunamaru remained silent. Naomi Yamada voiced her agreement, "We should actually meet with the Kazekage himself and act as bodyguards."

The Sand ninja shook his head in disapproval, "If we act in such a manner as that, they'll know not to attack the Kazekage. They won't even try, and that works against us."

Asuma growled, "Are you trying to say you want the Kazekage to be attacked?"

The eerie voice replied, irritated, "I'm saying we cannot eliminate the Akatsuki if we do not give them the chance to reveal themselves to us. But if it makes you feel better, we'll enter the Village. We won't meet with the Kazekage though, we will only keep watch until they show themselves."

-

"You're simply amazing, Izune!"

Momoro walked alongside the chipper Izune through the Hidden Sand Village. Though they wore their cloaks, no body gave them any notice. Izune happily skipped along, humming a tune, stopping to note Momoro's remark.

"Thank you, Momo, but it's not really that complicated. I just have to extend my psychic field and focus on a small part of the brain…"

"But you're doing it on everyone we pass, and you've made us invisible to them. This couldn't be easier!" Momoro said, somewhat excitedly. "Come on, let's hurry. I want to get this over with as fast as possible."

Momoro picked up the pace, grabbing Izune's hand and pulling her along. The building the Kazekage resided in was only another block away, and it would be night soon. Hopefully, they would be able to kidnap the Kazekage and leave as they came, without being noticed.

-

Gaara sat at the stone meeting table in his office. On either side of him sat his siblings, Temari, who was busily writing down what her brother, Kankuro, said, "One of my former students has turned up missing. There's a possibility that she's joined that new Akatsuki."

"How strong do you think that possibility is?" Gaara asked, as sand shuffled onto the table, forming into a sundial. Gaara watched the dial and calculated the time before nightfall.

"High. She was something of an outcast. Eleven years ago, as a genin, she was on a team given a B ranked espionage mission in the Hidden Stone Village. There was a battle that resulted in an explosion and the entire team was buried alive. She managed to survive though, miraculously. I don't know how, but I know that when she returned, parts of her body had been destroyed and replaced by puppet parts. She came to me with an interest of learning Puppet Master Jutsu."

"Puppet parts… as her body… You don't think Sasori might have survived, do you?" Temari asked as she wrote. "After all, that kind of jutsu was his specialty."

"No. Sakura Haruno and our own Chiyo effectively eliminated Sasori," came Kankuro's prompt answer.

"Sakura Uchiha," Gaara correct, "Sasuke Uchiha married that that girl after everything was said and done. They now have three kids."

"Didn't Naruto Uzumaki have a thing for her though?" Temari asked, tapping her lip with the end of her pencil.

"I believe so, but he ended up just getting with that Hyuga girl… I don't think he's really satisfied with the end result, though…"

The sand sundial that was set up on the table collapsed. Gaara blinked, frowning and rising from his seat, looking out the window, "It's getting late. Please, retire to your individual homes. I need to rest…"

Kankuro opened his mouth to protest, but his sister clapped his shoulder, shushing the argument. He rose and left with his sister.

The sand on the table became more volatile and active with each passing moment. Gaara tapped his finger on the windowsill, sighing, "I already know you're there. Show yourselves already, and state your business." Gaara turned to look, and as he did, two shinobi appeared out of nowhere, both wearing red cloaks that bore a thick black stripe at the center. On that stripe was a red cloud.

"I figured something like this would be the result. Well, go ahead. Take me," Gaara spoke quietly, with some sadness in his voice.

Momoro stepped forward, but Izune grabbed his hand, "Don't get too close! It's a Sand Clone!"

As she said it, the body of Gaara dispersed. Sand fell to the floor, and on it's own, flooded around their feet. As it tried to wrap itself around the ankles of the two Akatsuki, Izune began to float, and Momoro leapt onto the meeting table. The sand split into two trails, following. Izune flew out the window.

"Hey, wait!" Momoro called, but the sand continued to pursue him. He ran across the table and leapt out the window after her. Izune was not below though… _She's probably gone to safety, probably on top of one of the buildings. _

Momoro pulled a scroll from inside his cloak and opened it. In a cloud of smoke, a large, metal disk appeared. The disk threw itself under Momoro, catching him in the air. The disk then began to rise with Momoro on top of it, Momoro directing it with his chakra. He rose to the rooftop of the building he jumped out of. Izune sat on the edge of it, twirling her hair. And at the center stood Gaara, his arms folded, staring at the two.

"Well, you certainly are a competent pair… I'm not just going to go with you and die, though." Gaara announced as a cloud of sand rose into the air. He leapt atop it, and the sand cloud flew forward, towards Izune. At the same time, the metal disk and Momoro flew at Gaara.

Momoro got to her first. He scooped her up and set her on the disk, swerving violently to miss Gaara. The two almost fell off, but Momoro maintained control. The Stone shinobi announced, "I will be the one capturing you, Kazekage Gaara."

Gaara spun around on his cloud of sand to look at the Akatsuki pair. He recognized the voice and responded, "Momoro Matsumoto… It's hard to believe such an honest, hard working young man like you can be corrupted by the Akatsuki. You know, the Hidden Stone Ninja who tried to capture me lost both his arms before ultimately dying. How much do you have to lose?"

Momoro reflected quietly on the question. There was nothing left for him, in reality. The other Hidden Stone Villagers would hate him for his betrayal. Stonewall was the only one he had left. His father was dead. His career and reputation were ruined. It didn't matter anymore if he got out of Akatsuki alive… there would be nothing to return to…

Momoro pulled two scrolls out, the disk he stood on rising, trailing the scrolls through the air as he rose. The scrolls soon began to produce a massive amount of smoke.

"Twin Dragon – Metal Nightmare!"

Gaara brought some of his sand before him as a shield, peering through the smoke intently. He could not see through the smoke… The sky was becoming darker though. The Kazekage looked to the sky and gasped. A cloud of metal weapons floated over his head. Quickly, Gaara summoned the sand to completely encase himself as the weapons begun to launch themselves at the Kazekage. Every weapon hit the giant ball of sand that Gaara now hid in.

"Damn it… The Metal Nightmare usually always catches them off guard…" The smoke around Momoro and the scrolls faded into nothingness. "Hey, Izune, can't you just use your jutsu to knock him out or something?"

"If I knock him unconscious like that, though, the Ichibi might awaken; I believe we have to expend all his chakra and then physically knock him out," she answered quietly.

"That flying thing you did…"

"Telekinetic movement, and yes, I can sustain it for a long time, and yes, I'll do it."

Momoro cursed to himself. _I didn't even get a chance to completely form that plan… _Izune rose from the disk and flew at the ball of sand. An odd arm made from sand shot forward, but Izune skillfully dodged it. Momoro guided the metal disk towards the ball of sand as well, causing another arm to spawn. This second arm tried to grab him, but Momoro avoided it. The two continued to weave through the arms of sand, which became more and more numerous with time.

-

The sun had been down for an hour. Sunamaru Zirone's head suddenly jerked up. "There's been a disturbance in the village. Go see what it is."

Naomi yelled, "Go see what it is? What's that supposed to mean? Come with us, you bum!"

Sunamaru shook his head, holding himself tight, "My jutsu does not work well without light. The disturbance isn't extremely violent, anyway, or else we all would have seen it. Just go."

Naomi sighed, disappearing in a blur. Asuma formed a few hand signs and blew a stream of fire, creating a small campfire before Sunamaru, "Use this for light if the 'disturbance' finds its way out here." With that, Asuma disappeared as well.

-

Izune giggled as she flew between the tendrils of sand. Momoro cried out, "This isn't a game! Keep your guard…"

One of the tendrils successfully hit Momoro, knocking the wind out of him. He fell off the disk for only a short distance before Izune flew over to catch him, setting him down on the building. Momoro gasped for air.

"Momo, look. The movements of the sand are slowing down… I think he's coming out."

The sand ball began to open, sinking to the ground. It formed back into a simple cloud of sand, on which Gaara sat, panting. The sand still moved about anxiously. Momoro noticed something about Gaara he hadn't yet seen and smiled a little, still taking deep breaths.

"Well, this has been interesting… but it's over now… I hate using this technique, but I'm forced to… Hidden Explosion!" Momoro called out as he performed a hand sign. Gaara looked behind him, expecting the metal disk to come back and hit him.

He was wrong.

The metal of Gaara's headband, which he wore on his belt, exploded, firing shards of metal in all directions. Gaara cried out in agony as the metal pierced straight through his Armor of Sand, into his skin. Blood seeped through the wound, and the exhausted Gaara collapsed, clutching his wound.

"Let's get out of here, fast." Momoro swallowed as he manipulated the disk to slide under Gaara, carrying the Kazekage's unconscious body.

**Next Chapter: Into Ashes**


	20. Chapter 20: Into Ashes

**Chapter 20: Into Ashes**

Naomi Yamada and Asuma Sarutobi Jr. stood at the entrance of the Hidden Sand Village, arguing their plans.

"We should immediately head to the Kazekage's location and check on his safety. If he's still safe, we can hide there and wait for the attackers to come," Naomi began, twirling a strand of her sandy blonde hair.

"And if he's already been captured, your plan will solve nothing. I have an idea," Asuma responded as he formed a few hand signs. He cupped his hands around his mouth and blew hard. A thin, dark smoke exited his mouth, quickly engulfing the entire village.

"This is a special jutsu I developed. I can detect a disturbance in the area that the smoke covers. Additionally, it'll give us some cover with our movements. And…" Asuma paused, focusing for a few seconds, "Three masses with high concentrations of chakra are heading this way."

Naomi pondered, "The Akatsuki travel in pairs… They might have already got Gaara! We need to take him back."

-

They dodged between villagers as they ran, the Akatsuki pair, followed by the metal disc that carried Gaara's motionless body. The villagers were beginning to head inside, as it was dark and cloudy, and it was a bad omen to be out on a rainy night.

Momoro smiled to himself as he ran. _I can almost feel it… we're almost out of the village… what is with this fog all of the sudden though?_ _No… it's smoke…_

Villagers started gasping and screaming in horror. Momoro and Izune came to an abrupt stop, as did the disk. The villagers were staring right at them.

"Izune! Why did you stop blocking…"

"Look…" she whispered, raising her hand and pointing towards the village exit. As the smoke began to clear, two shinobi were visible. The woman wore a short, brown jacket over her fitting, black outfit, her sandy hair blowing lightly in the breeze. The man wore a long black jacket over his flak jacket. The man crouched slightly and the woman took a step back as the Akatsuki pair became visible to them.

-

"Well, what have we here?" Asuma crouched slightly as the three became visible. "It looks like we got ourselves some Akatsuki after all, and they have the Kazekage in tow."

"That man…" Naomi began to step back, stating nervously, "That man is Momoro Matsumoto. He uses a metallic manipulation jutsu… I can't fight him."

Asuma turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow, "First, the pale guy chickens out, and now you're disabled too? Look, just get the Kazekage and go, I'll take care of the shinobi."

They darted forward, Naomi veering towards the disk. Momoro noticed and stepped in between her and Gaara, a small smile coming to his lips, "Well, isn't that pleasant? Naomi Yamada, head of the Yamada clan? The one that performs alchemy?"

Naomi stopped abruptly, swallowing, "Stand aside, Momoro… I'm more capable than you think."

The Akatsuki member snickered, "I know of your ability. You have the power to convert your body's composition into that of a pure elemental substance, and then manipulate your structure. About 90 percent of those elements, however, are metallic. If you try to do anything, I'll be able to rip you to pieces. You realize that, though, right?"

A cloud of ashes engulfed Momoro. He screamed in agony as the hot ashes burned into his skin, spinning rapidly in an attempt to clear the cloud away. As it dispersed and the ashes fell from Momoro's skin, red burns appeared where they had landed. Asuma formed more hand signs and was prepared to blow another cloud of ash outward, but Izune had taken the time Momoro used to taunt Naomi to fly behind Asuma. She delivered a hard kick to the back of his head. He fell to the ground, shocked, but still conscious.

"Damn it!" Momoro seethed, clutching at his burned face. The headbands of Asuma and Naomi began to twitch, but they realized it and quickly discarded them before they exploded, sending shards of metal all over. Naomi swept past Momoro and leapt forward, grabbing onto the disk, but as she did, the disk began to fly high into the air.

Izune smiled sweetly as she landed behind Asuma, who slowly rose back to his feet, but as he did, he continued to rise. "Now, now, you should know better than that. Playing with fire is bad," she cooed, telekinetically lifting Asuma into the air. With a casual wave of her hand, he was cast through the air, colliding with the disk, knocking Naomi and Gaara from it. Izune kicked off into the air, flying up to catch Gaara. The disk hit the ground, motionless.

Momoro had begun to run again, out of the village, but a shriek forced him to stop. Naomi has converted her hand using her alchemic jutsu into a long, iron claw, which wrapped itself around Izune. She lost her hold on Gaara and the Kazekage fell to the sand, motionless as it hit the ground. He watched in slight shock, but soon, another thud and the sound of flares awakened him.

Asuma was on the ground again, blowing a torrential stream of fire that nearly engulfed Momoro, but the craftsman had managed to evade narrowly. He remembered his original plan and used his jutsu to pry the claw that held Izune open. No longer suspended in the air by holding onto her opponent, Naomi fell to the ground. Izune fell as well, until the metal disk swooped under her and caught her. Once she regained her breath, she flew off it, and the disk swooped under Gaara, picking him up. In the same instant, the metal claw that was Naomi's arm swiped down at Asuma.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" called the young Leaf shinobi as he ducked under the mighty swipe.

"I can't control it!" she cried as she grabbed her claw with her free hand. She made a few more involuntary swipes at Asuma until her hand reverted to normal, but by that time, the Akatsuki had left with Gaara.

"We failed, didn't we…?" sighed Asuma in disbelief.

"I'm sorry…" Naomi bit her lip and fell to her knees.

-

Sunamaru Zirone stared into the fire from beneath the veil over his eyes. He could sense the arrival of two strong shinobi, observing and noting to himself, "They left the village… the disturbance is calming down… but the two are not heading this way… they're fleeing… It must be the Akatsuki…"

He examined the fire, calculating out loud, "There's only enough light here for one shot… I'll have to make it count." He formed a few hand signs before extending his arms out, his palms facing the fire. The fire became smaller and smaller until it extinguished itself, but a ball of energy was forming in Sunamaru's open hands, growing as the fire shrank. The ball glowed with the intensity the fire had.

Sunamaru cupped the ball in his hands and watched the darkness until he could see the two. They were wearing red cloaks, sure enough. Sunamaru threw his arms outward, casting the ball of light at the pair.

-

Momoro had taken to riding the disk again, sitting on the unconscious body of Gaara, panting as he applied a cloth to his burns. Izune flew overhead, twirling around in the air.

"We made it… We're home free…" Momoro panted, gingerly dabbing at his wounds.

"Not yet… There should be one more."

"What!?"

"I read the mind of the girl you provoked. She is a part of a team of 3. We only met two."

"So where…"

Both heads turned as the sky turned bright, and the ball of light struck the ground before them, engulfing them and Gaara in blinding light.

**Next Chapter: Black Eyes in the Mist**


	21. Chapter 21: Black Eyes in the Mist

**Chapter 21: Black Eyes in the Mist**

The mist swelled up around the ankles of the men as they walked the lengthy, stone bridge. For the average man, visibility was zero. The Hidden Mist Village was on it's guard, prepared for the Akatsuki, or so it thought.

_I know this tactic. You've tried this against me before_ mulled the older man, lighting a cigarette. He placed his lighter back in the pocket of his red cloak, smiling. _Normally, this would throw me off for quiet some time, but I've chosen my comrades wisely this time._ His hand was placed on the shoulder of the other man, who led the way.

"Three ninjas about 100 meters ahead of us. We're close," spoke that other man. He scanned the horizon, veins showing on his white pupils and face.

"Get ready to dispel the mist. I'll do the rest."

A few more steps. Kuro Hyuga lowered his body and prepared to rotate.

-

"Two ninjas about 100 meters away. They've stopped. They're planning to attack." The soft voice of the water Sage interrupted the serene atmosphere at the end of the thick mist. He sat on the ground, his legs folded under him, hands together in a sign. On one side was the Stone Village ANBU captain, crouched and ready to strike. The other saw the third in a line of bushy-browed Taijutsu masters.

"Anti-Akatsuki Team Four, prepare to engage enemy. Attempt to neutralize the enemy, avoid killing if it is at all possible," came the order from the ANBU captain. Her hand gripped the handle of her white kodachi, almost anxiously, despite her formal nature.

"Should I hold the mist?"

"Let them make the first move," came Azami's response.

"Arrrgh! I can't take the waiting!" grumbled Brock Lee, removing weights around his legs. _Can't hold back… these are elite Rogue ninjas_.

Almost as soon as he said it, the mist began to drift away from them, rapidly.

-

"Keep rotating! It's almost clear!"

A massive radius of rotating chakra sucked in the mist and dispersed it. In the center, the rogue Hyuga spun, panting from all the effort required. As Tsunami watched, he couldn't help but throw back his head and let out his uncharacteristically high-pitched laugh. This was going to be all too easy. Three ninjas have never been significant enough of a threat to stop the Tsunami!

The air became completely clear just in time for Tsunami to catch a green blur overhead, before it came down and struck him across the face, sending his falling over the side of the bridge. Brock Lee landed in his place as the rotating ninja slowed to a stop. They exchanged hard glances at one another.

_Kuro…What have you let yourself become involved with…?_

-

_Ten years ago. Not a cloud in the sky over the Hidden Leaf Village. Wildlife was active. The deer frolicked through the trees and the butterflies decorated the tops of vivid wild flowers. The Taijutsu Dojo of the Hidden Leaf Village was now reopened, and it's excited proprietor, Rock Lee, stood before his three students._

_"Alright! We now have the perfect place to perfect our ninja skills, especially Taijutsu!" the proud, older Bushy-Brow claimed. He performed his trademark 'nice guy' pose, to this irritation of two of his students._

_"Ugh. Are we even going to have time to use it with all the missions we're getting," spoke Eri Tatami, the daughter of Iwashi Tatami and Hana Inuzuka. She already bore the traditional red fanged tattoos on each cheek, like most members of the House of Inuzuka. Beside her was her small wolf partner, Udo. He seemed to verbalize his agreement with a series of yaps._

_"Either way, I think I'd prefer taking extra missions than training in this thing. Nothing prepares you better than field experience," added Tomoyuki Hagane, the son of Kotetsu Hagane. He sported his father's messy haircut, though sandy instead of black, and bright green eyes,_

_"No! Sensei has constructed this magnificent building to be an experience better than any mission ever could be! I want to try it out right now!" exclaimed the eager, adopted son of Rock Lee. He returned Lee's 'nice guy' pose. The two suddenly broke down into tears and embraced one another, to dismay of the rest of the team._

_"Uhm…Lee…" The voice of Rock Lee's old teammate, Neji Hyuga, broke up the emotional moment. "I'm on an espionage mission with Kiba and Shino. Going to be gone all day. Think you can take care of my pupils?_

_This was the first time Brock Lee met his future rivals. From behind Neji stepped up the young ANBU member Takachi Uchiha, the prodigy Obito Hatake, and the Hyuga clan heir Kuro Uchiha. They were known to be Konoha's greatest youth team, with all member of the team being Chunins, rather than Genin's._

_"Excellent! We will have six people to test out the new training course!" Rock Lee cried out, howling with pride._

_"Err… right. Well, good luck, kids!" Neji said with a somewhat sadistic smile, leaping into the woods._

_Brock Lee eagerly stepped up to the newcomers, "Hello! I am Brock Lee, Taijutsu specialist of Team 24!"_

_The newcomers broke out in laughter. "Brock Lee? Like the vegetable?"_

_"Hey, it is a perfectly respectable name! What are your names, then?"_

_Kuro smiled, holding out his hand, "My name is Kair. Kair Rut." More laughter ensued._

_"Stop laughing! I'm a great ninja, going to be the best Taijutsu specialist in all the village!"_

_"You're going to have to go through me to get there, then. I'm the best Taijutsu fighter in our age group," Kuro responded, flexing his arm and patting his bicep. His teammates snickered gleefully._

_"Fine! I challenge you, Kair Rut!" Brock Lee declared, taking several steps back before leaping forward in a swift drop kick. Kuro dodged the move with little trouble, but as Brock hit the ground, he swung his leg around, catching Kuro by the ankle and sending him to the ground. Kuro landed on his hands and feet, though, and pushed himself into the air, over Brock. As he rose over Brock, he struck Brock's chest once with two fingers. Brock remained on the ground._

_"The name's Kuro Hyuga. And I'm still the best," Kuro added, walking past Brock into the dojo._

I'll just keep challenging you, Kuro Hyuga, until I am the one who is the best!

-

"Kuro Hyuga, I challenge you!" cried out Brock Lee, pointing at the Hyuga.

"Brock… I don't believe it… What kind of Divine conspires for this to happen?" Kuro asked, amazed.

"I will defeat you, my friend! The title of the best belongs to me!" he yelled in response, taking up his fighting stance.

"Fine… I accept your challenge, old friend," announced the Hyuga clan member, taking his own stance.

-

"Brock Lee's successfully neutralized the stronger enemy. He should have no trouble with the other," Toru Shigi announced, raising from his sitting stance. "I shall remain here. Go to the Mizukage and obtain any information on Mist Village Jinchuuriki."

"But what if the other one breaks past Brock Lee?" came Azami Ohba's response, rising up with him.

"The Jinchuuriki's safety is priority. By the time he finds the Jinchuuriki, he'll be worn down and you can execute him. Do not worry about us, just go!"

Azami nodded and entered the village in a flash. Toru Shigi held his staff infront of himself and began to chant. The water under the bridge rose up, forming a massive wall of water behind Toru. The roar of the oceanic structure drowned out the noise made by Tsunami as he rode a small wave of his own creation. The water Sage almost didn't notice it, narrowly abandoning the bridge. As he did, the wall of water collapsed overtop Tsunami.

Toru landed on calmer water, further away from the bridge. The Blue Moccasin had avoided the crushing water, though, appearing behind the Sage and sneering, "I'm the master of water jutsu. You can't kill me like that!" With that, he jammed both of the Lightning Rod blades into Toru's back, but the body dispersed into water.

_Clone… Typical…_The roar of water could be heard again. Tsunami spun around and cried out in shock. The water rose high, taking the shape of a body. From each hand, the liquid shaped itself in the form of spears, which then froze into solid form. More spears were made on the titan's back. The titan gradually formed into something of a massive gladiator. _Damn it, he's a water Sage, and he's entered Sage mode. Looks like I'll already have to summon my pretty, which means I need my chakra invoked._

Tsunami retreated back to the bridge, the water titan following slowly.

-

**Next Chapter: Two Tails **(bwahaha, cliff hanger!)


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